Coffee Break: Dessert Bowl

108 Comments

1. Ugh just back from vacation my house is a mess while I unpack and I have a ton of work to catch up on and I can’t seem to start.

   1. It’s so tough. I’m a week back from vacation and still digging out. One piece at a time is all I can say. Don’t try to force yourself to do it all at once. Tell yourself you just have to do one thing.

   2. Can you send your laundry out to be done? That cuts down on visual mess and I always feel like I have a mountain of it after a vacation.

      Or go and work in a cafe with good coffee and cake?

   3. Too late now, but I try to schedule a cleaning while I’m away so I can come home to a clean apartment. It’s a bit of work on the front end because you have to pack and de-clutter for the cleaning person at the same time but it makes coming home so much better. Still have laundry to deal with and putting away random travel stuff but much more manageable.

      I think I also have come to accept that as much as I love to try (and hoard) new travel sized products, it is just too much clutter for me to manage. I am now investing in reusable travel bottles and just using what I always use – much easier to put away at the end than dealing with 1/4 full bottles of random items.

      1. The cleaning-while-away is a good idea! So nice to come home to a clean house.

         I tried the travel sized samples too and ended up missing my ordinary products and lugging home samples, so I’m also resigned to taking them and bringing them home (travelling by car now).

      2. I would be worried about people I don’t know in my house while I was out of town. Not just theft but if a drier catches fire or dishwasher floods after folks leave or a door is accidentally unlocked or window open. We tried with painters once and never again ( someone on the crew stole a bunch of minor things we didn’t notice right away and one had huge sentimental value).

2. What are your go tos for dealing with anxiety? Anxiety in this case is caused by a long to do list of things I don’t want to do, for certain things like dr. appointments, I’m scared of the outcome, and overall I don’t feel great which I’m guessing is in some part anxiety as physical symptoms. But in many cases it’s just easy stuff like call x and make an appointment or order the specialized battery for my car key, deal with my very messy house. Unfortunately I don’t have anyone how can do these things for me as I am single, and I can’t even really hire a house cleaner at least for a while because a lot of the mess is things like opening stacks of mail or dealing with piles of laundry, so a house cleaner can’t do much until I free up the counters and floors.

   Interestingly the anxiety presents itself mostly on the weekends and Monday so I literally just sit there staring at my computer or TV unable to do much and then improves Tuesday through Friday. I knew this would be an issue again this week so I’m patting myself on the back that I got a significant work project out the door early last Friday knowing that if I waited until Monday it wouldn’t happen. But obviously I have other work commitments this week too. I need some kind of fixes here. I know I can talk to a dr to see if I need meds and I plan to do that and that appointment is scheduled though the earliest they had was a month from now. So any day to day remedies?

   1. I think meds are the answer unfortunately — can you get put on the cancellation list for an earlier appointment?

   2. One thing a therapist in college told me that has stuck with me is your either have the pain/anxiety/annoyance of doing the thing, or you have the pain of doing the thing + the pain of worrying about it. There’s going to be pain either way, might as well choose the less painful option. This was around a lot of things, but a big thing was not being able to go check the student portal after getting an email or otherwise knowing that grades are in.

      I make a list of things like the mail and laundry and set a timer for 20 minutes, and do as much of it as I can then. Honestly laundry I just started sending out when its bad, worth it for times like this.

   3. So personally I would make sure you’re scheduling with a psychiatrist rather than a GP and I’d also look into talking with a therapist. Because what you’re describing can be caused by primary anxiety or something like executive function issues related to ADD that then cause secondary anxiety and the treatment is different depending. (Unless you’ve been through this before and are looking to renew meds you’ve been on before that worked).

      Otherwise I’ve heard good things about the book How to Keep House While Drowning by KC Davis for manageable strategies.

   4. There are a few things that are clinically proven to help mitigate anxiety, including meds, hard physical exercise, and meditation. Hard cardio work is like a power wash for your brain and helps get that anxiety out.

      Other tips:
      1) Just pick something and do it. If your counters and floors are all a mess, just start with one counter and clean it. Don’t let the perfect be the enemy of the good. And girl, you should not worry about a housecleaner. Find one even if your house is a mess. Let someone help you here.
      2) If your anxiety kicks in Friday through Monday, it suggests to me that you are using the structure of the work week to help mitigate the anxiety. Can you add structure and accountability to the weekend? Being alone with your thoughts in an unstructured way is very scary when you are dealing with anxiety.
      3) Your anxious brain won’t believe this, but your logical brain might: the reality of doing these things is going to be so much better than the dread you are currently living with. Anticipatory anxiety is the worst and the only real solution is to Do The Thing that is eating you alive.
      4) I sometimes use a mental exercise I call the backpack. Imagine a backpack, and then imagine taking all of your anxious thoughts and loading them into the backpack. Then zip it up and put the backpack in a closet or give it to someone else. All the thoughts are still there if you need them, but you don’t have to carry them around all at once.

      Good luck and please go get that doctor’s appointment faster.

   5. Hey there! I also suffer from anxiety. I can tell from your post that you’re having a flare up. I have had the worst anxiety period of my life the last couple of months, and I’ve been exactly where you are. The biggest thing I can say is to try and work slowly and give yourself grace, and you will climb through it. I’m finally on the upswing!

      Things that helped me the most were starting Lexapro and consistent therapy. The particular type of therapy I like is called DBT.

      It sounds like you’re on the path to these options. The other things that help me are getting outside, even if it’s just a really slow walk while listening to my favorite podcast. Then working up to quicker walks if you want. There’s a meditation app called Calm with an anxiety series that helped me as well. Gentle yoga (go to YouTube and search for bed yoga or bedtime yoga) is also great. It’s mostly mindful stretching, and you can do that anywhere. Do something joyful every day. That can be as simple as drinking your favorite coffee, but the joyful thing should be done mindfully to fully enjoy it. Sometimes I count cleaning as my joyful thing because I feel so much better when it’s done.

      I would just do the best I could and acknowledge everything wasn’t going to be “perfect” for a minute. And I decided half measures were good enough for now. I wouldn’t be in the headspace to meal prep, so buying bagged salads at Trader Joe’s was good enough. Sweeping that one spot that was bugging me instead of the whole kitchen was good enough, etc. Doing all this, I slowly got more and more energy to devote to living tasks.

      Try to remember that your brain is sick right now. You wouldn’t berate your best friend for having cancer, so try your best not to berate your own brain. It is trying to protect you from something (no matter how irrationally it’s behaving). Once I started doing my best to be kind to myself, things turned around.

   6. One thing that works for me is pairing a sucky thing with a fun thing – I’ll blast my favorite music and set a timer. Everything I can clean/organize in ten minutes gets done and after that I have permission to stop (often I’m already done or I don’t mind finishing up at that point). For work I’ll play brown noise (music helps focus me), set a visual timer – you ONLY have to do unfun thing for 3/5/10 minutes and then you can be done, or tell myself after I do unfun thing I will get a treat (walk, call a friend, fun drinks, etc.). It took me forever to realize this but Pomodoro doesn’t really work for me – I’m better off working solidly for an hour plus and then having a longer break, short breaks throw off my momentum – maybe see if that’s better for you too?

      1. Agree with this – I like to pair a coffee + muffin with a couple disagreeable phone calls.

         But also, OP, I’d kick everything else down your to-do list and try to call your doc back. Tell them you’re struggling to do your job and chores, and if they’d be able to see you via telehealth so you can get a prescription ASAP you’d like to do that.

      2. Agree with this. Make a playlist of music you love, makes you feel good and gets you moving. Start with a short list (3-4 songs) and commit to doing something while it plays. I am always amazed with how much I can get done in 10-15 minutes (clean up the kitchen, sort the mail).

         Add another song in a week or so to get to 20 minutes, etc.

         I get in a funk sometimes and let things ride – live alone and my dog does not care (interestingly, nothing slides taking care of him – it’s different than taking care of me:).

         I just made a playlist and love it so much. And I think the dog does too, as I end up playing with him while I clean.

   7. You may be interested in some of the ADHD-for-women content, particularly procrastinating on things you know you want to do but just can’t bring yourself to do and then getting frustrated with yourself. There are a lot of little tips floating around, like if you need to have a productive day you need to get your first dopamine hit of the day from doing something productive, not from a screen… if you need to get stuff done break it down into smaller pieces … if you need to get somethig done you should keep your shoes on.

3. The skirt this morning and now this bowl… I swear I didn’t pay anyone to make tie-dye-looking-items today’s theme, but I had a REALLY rough few days so this is making things feel better, even though they’re not in budget; they’re just so pretty to look at! (Also, for those wanting some mind-numbing without the celeb aspect, my IG is filled with pour art, which I could just watch for hours, highly recommend!)

   1. I actually really love the yellow bowl, and I suspect this is the first time I’ve ever been genuinely interested in one of Kat’s home decor picks!

4. Any hotel recs in Phoenix/Scottsdale for a family with a young kid (almost 5)? We’re only staying in the area for 3 nights, so not planning to drive to Sedona or the Grand Canyon (much as I would love to see those things), and I think we’ll be splitting our time about evenly between downtown PHX (theater, science museum) and the Scottsdale area (botanical gardens, hiking). Marriott would be a plus as I have Marriott status through my United Airlines status. I was looking at the Phoenician but it’s insanely expensive and not sure it’s worth the cost, so would love other suggestions.

   1. Westin Kierland. It’s a beautiful property near some shops and restaurants, and your child will enjoy the water slides and lazy river.

   2. I have brought my kids to the Marriott Desert Ridge and they liked the lazy River and movies out by the pretty pool. It is in far north Phoenix.

      1. This is also walking distance to a shopping center with splash pads, movie theater, and a lot of restaurants.

      2. And just slightly north of this is the Scottsdale Fairmont Princess. Beautiful hotel and property and nice pool for the kids.

   3. Arizona Grand – has multiple pools and an attached water park.

   4. We stayed at the Marriott Renaissance a few years ago. It was undergoing a renovation while we were there, but it was nice enough. The location is great for downtown Phoenix attractions, including the Science Museum and the Children’s Museum.

   5. Op here. Thanks for the recs! I should have mentioned this trip will be in January so I’m not sure how much swimming will be possible.

5. I have a silly homeowner question. So we have a number of sconces in our house that need the shades replaced (combination of burned out/fading/just not our style). Where does one go to fine replacement lampshades for sconces / where the shade isn’t just a standard screw it onto the lightbulb holder like a regular lamp?

   1. I’d look at Rejuvenations. If you can’t find it on their website, call them. They’re very helpful.

   2. I’m on m0d. Re Ju ven a tions. (No spaces) They specialize in this.

      1. https://www.rejuvenation.com/

   3. Ballard Designs has a ton of ‘chandelier shades’ that might be what you are looking for.

6. IDK if anyone else is a big cynic like me, but it seems that ESG is just a bunch of hooey that means whatever you want it to mean and can justify whatever it is you want to justify. E.g.: “Lab-grown diamonds” are ESG because they are not conflict diamonds. But if lab-grown diamonds are made using bitcoin-mining levels of energy that is likely very dirty energy in a country with shockingly bad current human rights records, is there any E or S or G there? It’s like the corporate equivalent of greenwashing. Like get a CZ stone — I think that that is at least better on humans and their environment, but not as s*xy. Can’t say that or “I’m not a Team Player.”

   1. Anything ‘new’ from a large company definitely isn’t going to be sustainable but lots of small companies are making really ethical stuff. However on the diamond front the only truly responsible option is second hand (I’m that annoying person always suggesting estate, vintage, antique). Also humans don’t actually like truly ethical stuff it makes them uncomfortable, whereas the greenwashing makes them feel good.

      1. Agree 100% on the diamonds. Plus, old cuts are so very very cool — Old Mine cuts, and whatever it is that I have that is not done any more but was done in the 1920s.

   2. 100%

      I think so much ESG and CSR is for show and I don’t have much patience for it. I feel like a mom scolding a toddler, don’t tell me you’ll do better, show me!

      1. Payday lending is often beaten up on but actually makes loans to people that big banks won’t or at fees (when you count thinks like under-minimum fees and overdraft fees) less than big banks offer (if they even offer them). And yet only are they given no props for being S, they are treated like they are the anti-Christ of S. Everything is more gray than it appears. Everything that appears to be black and white is often murky. ESG is everything and nothing.

   3. I don’t quite agree. If you are looking for moral absolutes, you can find fault with anything. Lab-grown diamonds means diamonds grown in a lab. If you project onto that ‘no person or part of the environment was ever harmed making this product’, then that’s a wrong assumption on your part. It’s of course misunderstandings like that, that marketers intentionally create. Just like a product made from plant based materials is not necessarily biodegradable, and companies that tout their environmental record are sometimes horrible employers.
      Additionally, there is usually more layers to information we consume, and it gets tricky to contextualize. Who is telling you that lab-grown diamonds are energy intensive? Could be diamond lobbyists (dairy lobbyists drive a lot of the discourse on water use for almond growth, and traditional banking lobbyists drive a lot of the discourse on the energy use of bitcoin), who knows? Maybe the coal for the energy for this process comes from West Virginia, and not a country with shockingly bad human rights records. I’m pretty sure the method is based on electricity, so it could really be performed with any power source.

      1. Yeah, just because everything is problematic in some way doesn’t mean everything is equally bad. You can still make meaningful decisions about what you want to support.

         That said apparently the bamboo sheets I absolutely love and that claim to be environmentally friendly are made with a chemical that poisons their workforce, a rabbit hole I went down recently. So I get the base frustration.

         1. My frustration is that you really have to diligence any claims (and often really can’t), so who knows? I want to see some sort of side-eye ESG audit letter and that concept just does not exist. I know that there are better and worse things, but it is so easy to claim better and so hard to know for sure. Buying nothing and donating $ is often the most S thing you can do, but if you donate it to Hillsong Church, they aren’t very E even though many nonprofits / churches often have a halo (but many nonprofits / churches are problematic). G is a problem everywhere but even G doesn’t guarantee anything but the G, so do I really care about it or just E and S?

   4. I think the way you’re using the term ESG refers more to generic greenwashing or social responsibility claims, but there is a part of ESG that’s more scientific and regulated.
      For example, investment funds that claim to be “green” or any of the other environmentalist buzzwords are required by some countries to report specific numbers on the carbon emissions of their companies, suppliers, and downstream sales. They also legally can’t use those terms if they engage in certain bad ESG practices or don’t create real benefit.
      It’s not perfect, but the ESG conversation isn’t all woo.

      1. This. It’s also noteworthy that the US isn’t one of those countries right now, and lawmakers are pretty cranky about it and have introduced a number of bills to address to make it more concrete rather than just greenwashing.

   5. Help me understand “bitcoin mining levels of energy.” I understand that bitcoin is a cryptocurrency, but I don’t understand how energy is used to “mine” it. I’m being honest here, not sarcastic.

      1. Bitcoin is “mined” by computers doing math. Many computers with their processors running hard goes through a lot of electricity, as does keeping them cool. My Dad’s home town in Washington state actually has an abandoned bitcoin mine, which was built there because of the cheap hydroelectric power. The “mining” company went out of business leaving this weird server farm out by the little airport.

      2. In order to do the calculations necessary to create a new bitcoin (“mining”)… huge banks of high powered computers are needed – thus consuming massive amounts of electricity.

      3. Bitcoins are “mined” through computational processes that are incredibly energy intensive. It’s completely obscene. I’ve seen estimates of 0.5% of the entire world electric supply goes to bitcoin mining.

         1. Wow! Okay I get the gist now, thank you. Will also read the article posted below.

      4. https://www.marketplace.org/2022/03/04/how-bitcoin-mining-works-as-simply-as-we-can-put-it/

   6. ESG screens are imperfect, but I still appreciate an index fund that will keep me out of guns, tobacco, and oil. If there was something better that made sense for me, I’d go with that. For me, an ESG screen is a big step up from no screen at all.

      1. How do you really get kept out of oil though? Goods don’t move themselves to market. Factories have lights and heat. People don’t just walk or bike to work. Textiles, minerals, and other substances don’t make themselves. I think that if it just “investing in” that is one thing but if you are using it, you are hedging it, and are tied to it in a long position no different than an investor. We can’t disconnect ourselves in a way that is both honest and tidy.

   7. As someone who works in the ESG space, I understand the frustration. AND, at the same time, I wish people who didn’t work in the corporate world understood the incredible amount of talent and expertise we have working to transform our industry from the inside out. The sustainability team at my company has several PhDs, people who’ve spent decades at NGOs, people who really care about and believe in the change they’re trying to drive. Yes, not everyone at the C-suite level is in it for all the right reasons. But the pressure around ESG is forcing companies like mine to continue to invest in our ESG programs and progress. You might see greenwashing, but there is a LOT of change that is being driven in this space to fundamentally rewire how our society needs to be run to be sustainable. i’m sure there are still shady things happening at many companies, but I wouldn’t throw the baby out with the bath water here. ESG is getting Board’s attentions much more today than sustainability initiatives of the past ever did.

7. I’m 41 and in a picture from this weekend, I just looked rough and tired and I don’t know what it is. I don’t wear face makeup and my skin is fine, very minimal wrinkles and I use RetinA for aging. I wear mascara occasionally, but only go beyond that maybe once a month. Am I just at the age where I have to work harder for a baseline decent look? What do I need to do?

   1. I mean yes kinda? A tinted sunscreen, concealer, mascara, and a pretty lip go a long way. As does good hair color.

   2. Do you have RBF? I was happy and carefree at 20 and smiled a lot. Pictures conveyed that. At 40, I looked as p*ssed off and tired as I am. Botox?

   3. From my personal 44-year-old experience: Botox, something like Sunday Riley Good Genes for exfoliating, Chantecaille Future Skin Foundation, a creamy eye shadow stick for some definition around your eyes without being harsh, blush, and lipstick. Botox made the biggest difference.

   4. Makeup is the answer.

   5. Maybe concealer/blush/bronzer? I like to put on face oil daily for a little shine. But also, I’m 25 and I’ll take photos where I look like completely worn out. It’s not you – it’s normal to get dehydrated or tired and look a bit worn down. People are more beautiful in person when you can feel the vitality and color and 3-D aspect of them.

   6. I feel more washed out as I’ve gotten older. It’s a pain, but putting on some brow color, mascara, lip color, and a quick swipe of blush helps me. I can’t bring myself to do a whole foundation-concealer-contouring face – I’ve never been that person and not about to start now.

      1. +1. Even just lipstick and mascara make a huge difference. That’s what the French do, right?

   7. Or you could just say “wow, that was a bad picture!” and not worry about it.

      1. +1

   8. Yeah, this is 41, unfortunately. I just turned 42 and have figured out that I need color, otherwise I look washed out and tired. The easiest way to do this is lip color. And it doesn’t have to be bright, screaming red. Just something to bring out the liveliness in your skin tone. I also am not wearing much black these days, although that was never my best neutral color so it’s not a huge loss.

   9. For me, the answer was coloring my brows – they weren’t defined enough and made me look tired and old.

      1. Yes – brows make a huge difference and you don’t even realize.

8. Reporting from the field that puffy headbands are HERE in my city. And they have to be puffy. I have yet to see a flat headband in the wild since HRC used to wear them.

   1. What’s next? A full Anne Boleyn French hood? Ah, fashion…

      1. Per the Tudors You Tube rabbit hole, that picture of Anne Boleyn wasn’t painted during her lifetime and the style is newer than she is, so even Anne didn’t likely rock the French hood (the hat-with-gables thingie).

   2. They’ve been here for a solid 4 years now. Probably peaked early in the pandemic actually. I am still wearing bc I’ve always been a headband lover. And they are great for Zoom.

      1. yeah, Duchess Kate was an early adopter when she wore that hatband for Louis’ christening. And he’s 4 now.

   3. Omg I saw this on Insta yesterday by a hair accessory brand and thought it looks ridiculous. I was hoping it was them being *unique*

9. What’s your favorite base coat and top coat for regular nail polish? I normally only use Dazzle Dry but had to pinch hit last weekend with a normal nail polish and I love the color so I’d like to keep wearing it! However, I’m very, very hard on my nails which is why I gave up on normal polish a while ago.

   1. Dip nails.

   2. Essie Gel Setter for top.

   3. Nailtiques Formula 2. There is nothing like it. My nails are hard as rocks and polish doesn’t chip. Use it every few days.

   4. Zoya. You can buy the full kit on azam0n

   5. Gelous for base coat and seche vite for top

      1. Seche Vite 4 Eva for top coat. They have a gel shine version now too. I’ve found that the base coat matters less than making sure I swipe my nail with remover before I start to get the oil off.

   6. Sally Hansen base coat; Essie top coat.

10. I have a Boden Belle v-neck ottoman dress with a flared skirt. The lower half of the dress looks great for my pear shaped figure, hugs me at my narrowest part and drapes beautifully.
    However I am small on top and the v-neck in front is too low for me. Great fabric for work but I’ve never worn this dress to work because of the neckline. And it just doesn’t seem like a weekend or date night dress because it is dark navy and heavyweight fabric. Any way I can redeem it? My ribbed cami just looks wrong with it even if the straps don’t show on the shoulder. Stitching a modesty flap may spoil the look of the v-neck.
    I love the look of the dress but never seem to wear it. Is Poshmark the answer?

    1. Can you tie a scarf flight attendant-style and let the tail hang down over the v-neck? Watch your colors since flight attendants literally wear red, white and navy, but maybe that could work.

    2. A skims-style cami in black?

    3. I would either do a scarf or a bigger necklace to take up some of the visual real estate. I prefer scarves tied in cravat knots or a basic bias fold and secured with a scarf ring as they feel a bit less flight attendant to me. I also like wearing them menswear style lie a loosened tie – worth experimenting maybe?

       1. Ooh, can you point to an image of bias fold + scarf ring? I have a gorgeous scarf ring my dad gave me and I’d love to wear it, but never have figured out how.

    4. You can have a seamstress take up the shoulders and bring in the bustline a little. Short of that, I agree with adding a scarf to the neckline.

11. I was in Nordstrom’s this weekend with a friend, needed some new underpinings and figured I’d get measured as it’s been a while. Holy heck, I was wearing the wrong size br@ by a LOT, like 2 band sizes too big and 2 cup sizes too small. One change and my clothes fit better and I feel much better, so if you haven’t been measured by a proper specialist in a while it might be time!

    1. It’s so much better when your bust is lifted up and off your chest correctly. Enjoy!

    2. I had a similar revelation recently. Like I’m not a B cup anymore? I’m a D? When did that happen?! I didn’t even realize how uncomfortable I was until I switched bras, and I thought I was pretty attuned to that sort of thing.

    3. Or use “A Bra That Fits” calculator online. Good for you! Our bodies shift over time and the right bra makes such a big difference.

12. College people: What % of people who are expected to co-sign student loans turn up as suddenly as uncreditworthy? And then what is a student’s recourse — they often don’t know parental credit scores. And I have a feeling that if you have primary family members with bad credit, it’s likely not the case that you have rich grandparents who can take on this burden (never mind parent loans, which are a horrid deal and no one should ever sign).

    To follow on the ESG comment above, I feel like a lot of colleges are doing very anti-ESG things to their students and their parents. Who are so often caught by surprise in an emotional high-stakes game. And unlike the Lehman mess, which at least was dischargeable, student loans and parent loans are ones you don’t get out of.

    1. This doesn’t make any sense. I never had to have a co-signer for my federal student loans. Do you mean that the college is expecting the parents to take out PLUS loans?

    2. No. Please stop posting these rambling incoherent anxiety driven thoughts on college. Please reread and edit. Ask yourself “what is the point I am making” and “do these words convey that”

    3. Let’s start with the outrageous cost of higher education! I don’t think any costs have risen as fast as they have over the past ~50-60 years. We shouldn’t even need to be talking about all the awful aspects of student loans because students shouldn’t need so many to begin with.

    4. I believe that there is an increase in the maximum amount of federal student loans that a student can get if there is no parent loan option. By no means does that close the gap for most students and even if it does, they are still left with big debt. Making college decisions with an eye to costs and debt is critical and underemphasized.

    5. I’m not sure whether you have a question. But my daughter is a senior at our large state university. She has a scholarship that covers tuition and this year was given a different scholarship that also covers fees and books. Before she had the second scholarship, I paid the difference which was usually a couple thousand dollars a semester. When looking at colleges we had a long, honest discussion about what I could contribute and whether it made sense to go somewhere where she would have to take out a lot of student loans. Thankfully, she will graduate debt-free.

13. Can anyone recommend a female bankruptcy lawyer in Northern Virginia?

    1. You will get much better recommendations if you say what for. All lawyers represent different sides. If this is for your personal bankruptcy, ask for that. If it’s to help your company recover from another in bankruptcy, say that.

14. I spent this morning in M so trying again.

    I came across a pre-order of the January 6th Report on the Barnes & Noble website, with a publication date of September 6, 2022. It says it’s written by the Select Committee. Can anyone help me understand this – is the January 6th Committee supposed to have wrapped up everything by then? And in enough time to have published a final report on it? It seems too early. Don’t they still have more work to do? I’m just trying to understand. Link in comments.

    1. https://www.barnesandnoble.com/w/the-january-6th-report-select-committee-to-investigate-the-january-6th-attack-on-the-united-states-capitol/1141054676?ean=9781250877529#

    2. I’m not sure anyone here would know the definitive answer to that question?

       I used to work in the book business and many times there will be a publication date attached to a book to get it into databases, but then the date gets moved out, for a number of reasons. A book doesn’t have to be 100% ready to distribute to get a publication date attached to it, especially if the publisher plans on doing a lot of advance marketing.

    3. I worked on the publication process on a previous high profile government report of this kind and the commission finished work on it less than a week before publication. It was directly on press and into stores, and they timed the publication with the release of the findings so that people who wanted to read the whole thing could buy it in bookstores day of.

       Though also pre-orders don’t guarantee a publication date—plenty of books have been delayed for supply chain reasons over the last few years and they just hold the pre-orders.

15. My kiddo is turning 8 soon and her largest birthday request is a Barbie dream house. We technically have the space for this thing, but as an 8-year-old, she’ll age out of it soon, right?

    1. Does she play a lot with Barbie’s now? Any younger siblings?

    2. She might. But I’d get it for her. You’re only a kid once. These days, I’d do anything to go back to that kind of simplicity. My sister and I loved our Barbie house growing up.

       1. That said, aren’t there various versions of it? Could you go smaller and more cost effective?

       2. +1. Many happy hours playing Barbie dream house,

    3. Depends on your definition of soon. I feel like there’s a chance she might like it until age 11 or 12. I’d get it.

    4. I think she has a few more years of Barbie ahead of her.

    5. I played with Barbies until I was around 11-12 – it was a great escape from tween pressure to be ‘old.’ But after age 9-10 I knew my friends had aged out of it, so I hid it in the guest room to play with (rather than keeping it in my own room where it had been living).

    6. I think I would have loved to put that house on my wish list at 8, but truthfully, I would have played with smaller Barbie stuff more, like a couple of more doll of different looks (including Ken), accessories of all kinds. I loved to bring small cases of stuff outside on a blanket to play with, and my imagination was the big thing, not a house. The beauty of Barbie is the Barbie-can-be-anybody-and-anything. Astronaut! Dentist! Doctor! Pilot! Vet!

       I did have a different house at that age, and it felt more of a collector thing to get all the matching things. You had the house, then you had to get the extra stuff, and it was never as fun as using dolls to do whatever I wanted.

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