Coffee Break: Happy Socks

100 Comments

1. Do any of you have your eyebrows embroidered/tattooed? Looking for recs in the NYC area. TIA!

2. Yay! Coffee Break! I love these cute sock’s! They can make even my feet look cute! I got my ex a pair of these b/c his toenails were dirty looking and his feet smelled, so I made him wear these all the time in my apartement. I recomend these to the entire HIVE especialy anyone who has a boyfreind with dirty toenail’s and smelley feet. FOOEY!

   Myrna found me a new guy to meet tonite. I can’t wait, b/c he live’s on Park Avenue South. I am NOT sure of the address, but she say’s it is a very nice place — she has been there for work. He is stoppeing by with her to pick me up and go to dinner nearby. I hope he is NOT a looser, and does NOT need sock’s like these. I threw out Sheketovitses Pair when I dumped him. All of his stuff went RIGHT into the disposal. DOUBEL FOOEY!

3. So I signed up to help with my college’s reunion gift committee. This time, we are to try to personalize contacts with various classmates and try to get them to donate (and/or attend). I am really trying to avoid having to contact guys I may have had some involvement with (nothing major — just drunk kissing / hookups that are probably par for the course for the young + stupid segment of people in their late teens / early 20s). I didn’t change my name when I got married and am worried that it might be received as either some sort of weird way to reinitiate contact or worse (and probably likley to backfire from the intended purpose — $ for scholarships, etc.). (I think if the letter came from Cameretta S. New Lastname, they would probably have no idea, but Cameretta Shutterfly is an unfortunately memorable name.) I think the best path is to just decline and only reach out to my g-rated guy acquaintances and not the R to X-rated ones and save those for someone else.

   1. Eh, you’re at least 5 years+ out, I assume. I probably wouldn’t let it worry me for the PG-13 drunken hook ups. When I’ve done these, there’s always been a scripted message which you can personalize a bit, but nothing that would make a random guy think you were trying to rekindle something. Obviously, if there were those one or a few that you didn’t leave things on good terms with, it’s fair to steer clear. But I think you’re worrying about this a bit much.

   2. Honestly, I doubt anyone cares anymore. You’re all adults and people probably are more likely to give when people they know ask. Say that you’re working with the org and no one will think about it.

   3. you know, reflecting on past trysts and hookups is something most men do for fun, not because it makes them cringe.

      The older I get the more I agree with the men.

      Maybe don’t reach out to anyone with whom you had a dramatic breakup scene, but other than that – old flames might be *more* inclined to open their wallets based on a happy memory.

      1. +1

   4. If the point is that you and the other committee members are splitting up the list based on who has a personal connection, then it makes total sense to pass on those with whom your personal connection is awkward. But if you have your list of classmates that are your responsibility unless you speak up, I’d just do it. If you want to make it more clear that you’re not fishing to rekindle anything, I’d include all the reunion committee member names as the signature of the email, even if it comes from your address.

      1. Giggling wondering if any guys will get passed on from all the committee members!

4. Any recommendations for a really great white t-shirt? I find they need to be replaced annually… I generally can’t keep anything bright white! I’d love to find a soft, not too fitted/not too loose, versatile t-shirt under $50.. Does anyone have one they love?

   1. You need to replace a cheap white t shirt annually.

      1. That is in fact what I said Anon, but I appreciate you reiterating my point…

         1. Oh sorry! I thought you were looking for one that doesn’t need to be replaced. I like Lands End.

            1. Even expensive white shirts have to be replaced when I spill something on them!

   2. Lands End

   3. I like the v-neck white tshirts from Eddie Bauer.

   4. American Apparel — great tshirts.

   5. The Emerson Fry outlet often has white linen tshirts in your budget. You will need to watch for them to open for a sale online, but I think I’ve seen tshirts for most of the recent sales.

   6. I love the Target V-necks. I have them in every color. They are often on sale for less than $10.

      1. +1 I love Merona t-shirts and the basic white is thick enough not to show anything. They go on sale regularly. If you are okay with something more casual and want to spend even less, try men’s undershirts. Thickness varies. Hanes is pretty thin, Kirkland (from Costco) is nice, soft, and thicker.

   7. I really like the purebody ones from Gap. Esp. for the white, I wish they were a touch more opaque, but they are a pretty nice weight. I prefer the v-neck but they also come in scoop neck. The tank/long sleeved versions are great as well. They have a nice shape, and a soft stretchy material that retains its shape. I just wish they came in more colors/stripes, etc. Well under your price point, and there is almost always a sale/promo code.

   8. I’ve really liked the Everlane tshirts I tried. I love the Madewell v-necks, but they seem to be taking a lesson from J. Crew and getting holey after a few washes.

5. So, I got laid off a few weeks ago with a very generous severance package. I’m pregnant and due in June. I was planning to (and have already started) do consulting part time and spend more time at home with my other 2 until the baby comes, take 2-3 months of self-imposed maternity leave, and start the job hunt in the fall.

   Well…a recruiter I met with last fall called me up and asked if I’d be interested in a FT role. I did NOT mention my pregnancy at the time. I’ve gone through 3 interviews (all video/phone as this job reports to someone across the country from me), and I know they like me. They will be reaching out to schedule my final interview (essentially fly out and meet the team) soon. I’ll be telling them I’m pregnant at some point, probably as we meet face to face.

   I can’t decide if I want to make this work or not. It’s a great role and a salary even higher than the one I just left. It’s a change of pace and will challenge me in ways I haven’t been challenged in a while, and will let me get back to really nerding out in my field vs 100% focus on management and politicking. If this opportunity came knocking 7 months from now, I’d be all over it. But dealing with going back FT and being pregnant and in the office until June, then taking time off in a new (highish profile) role (assuming they let me…because if they don’t, that’d be my answer right there…) then coming back and continuing to be in “prove yourself” mode with a newborn seems so much harder than just interviewing and starting a new gig with a ~5 month (or 9 month…know this takes a while) old.

   WWYD? Am I missing an opportunity to pitch myself creatively (hire me part time for now, full time in the fall)? I’m fairly sure they don’t love me enough to say “I’d love this job, can I start in September?” Do I just suck it up and take the role (if offered….but things look really good. They are in “woo me” mode.) and figure if it doesn’t work out I can quit between now and November and be no worse off than I am right now? Offer to do some of the work as a consultant for now with a plan to come on board fully in the fall? That would make a ton of sense, however, the nature of the work is not ever something you’d use a consultant/contractor for (think M&A, business integrations, etc).

   1. A year from now, will you wish you had accepted this job? If you think this is what you’d want to be doing once the circumstances are better, I think you should do what you can now to make it work. It might not be ideal now, but if it would be ideal in a year, maybe try to figure it out. Can you wait until they (hopefully) make you an offer, and then counter with the part time now/full time in the fall idea? If they say no, you could either suck it up and take the full time role, or you could always decline at that point. Maybe once it really happens, your reaction will tell you more about what you want to do.

   2. I interviewed at 8 months along. My line was, I don’t mean to BE the elephant in the room, but I am pregnant, so I would not be able to start right away but I am interested in part-time and ramping up, blah blah blah.

      It worked. I was hired. It was great. But, I mean, I WAS interested in that. If you’re not interested in that, or in that there (At this company/this point in time) then don’t.

   3. Did you post a similar question a few weeks ago? If not, try to look through the archives because someone with a very similar situation posted and got a lot of responses.

      I was in a similar situation, I asked if I could start 6 months after my baby was born and I was pleasantly surprised/shocked that they said yes. If you think this is a great opportunity I would absolutely make this request and see what they say. When I was interviewing, I was told that they wanted to fill the position “immediately” but lucky for me, they were willing to wait for me.

   4. I would take it so fast they wouldn’t know what hit them. But then I was laid off when I was at 32 weeks and wound up involuntarily unemployed/SAH for the next year and it was hell.

6. I love fun socks, I wear them everyday in the winter. They make me happy plus they make a great conversation piece when I am at a friend’s home. I had an awful experience recently though, I was interviewed at a no shoes office (without warning) so I awkwardly had to pretend I wasn’t wearing unprofessional socks with cats on them. Do any of you work in no shoes offices? Do you warn candidates?

   1. What is a no shoes office and how do I get a job there???

      1. I wish I knew, I showed up and there was a framed sign that requested all visitors take their shoes off, then the receptionist showed me their shoe cubby.

         1. Assuming this is in Asia? That’s the only time I’ve ever taken my shoes off in an office setting.

            1. Not Asia.

   2. I think I know what office you’re referring to. Are you in the Bay Area?

      If I’m thinking of the same place the receptionist offered me slippers after asking me to remove my shoes (I was just visiting for lunch though). If I were a recruiter I would certainly warn candidates. The only reason I can think that they wouldn’t is if the no shoes rule was prominently displayed on the Careers page and they expected candidates to know that going in.

      1. Not in the Bay Area, no slippers either, though that would make it much better. I was so flustered I went home and re-read the job posting/email correspondence/company website and no mention of the policy at all.

   3. OMG I would be so screwed. I wear boots everyday in the colder months and I rotate through everyone in the family’s socks, Superheros are a daily treat on these feet!

7. Maybe it’s just me, but if I’m wearing socks, I’d rather they be visible. I wear skirts/dresses to work probably 75% of the time, but when I wear pants, I like lightweight knee high socks with something fun going on, usually polka dots or stripes, and heeled oxfords. All the well-dressed men in my office wear fun socks these days, so I figure I can too.

8. A few years ago, we traveled through the airport, me and the toddler. I put on my fun socks and explained that I was excited to take off my shoes to show the officer at the airport my fun socks. The toddler was excited to show his fun socks, too, and then sad because he didn’t have to take off his shoes.

   1. Well that’s the cutest TSA story I’ve ever heard.

9. Blergh, my top choice of a wedding venue has a high room block requirement that basically rules it out completely, because no, I am not going to ask my guests to commit to two nights at your rather high rates when there’s another brand new, nicer hotel not that far away that’s cheaper without a two night minimum, and no, I don’t want to pay for 10 unsold rooms when my guests opt for new hotel. Someone remind me that I don’t need the perfect venue, I just need one that’s good enough, because this is rather disheartening.

   1. Your wedding planning process will be so much better without the worry of booking enough rooms hanging over you. Nobody needs that stress.

      1. Preach! Listen to Sydney Bristow, she is wise. Pick a nice venue without all the restrictions.

   2. If they require that, they are not the perfect venue and likely will have other difficult requirements to deal with. Consider it a win to learn now, rather than once a deposit has been put down.

   3. Can you negotiate with this hotel to get rid of the room block requirement? If not, forget it and move on. It’s just a venue. A space you will fill with your friends and family and happy memories. The space itself doesn’t matter.

      1. Oh yeah, try negotiating first. A co-worker just negotiated her wedding venue contract with a HUGE international hotel chain. She redlined the contract and sent it back, with pretty extensive changes, and they surprisingly just accepted all of them.

         1. +1. Everything is negotiable with weddings.

         2. +1 I’ve negotiated a contract with a small, boutique hotel chain before where I hosted an event. I just redlined the contract and sent it to them. There was some discussion but they accepted my changes.

      2. This. We negotiated easily at a venue that we didn’t think needed to dicker with us. They wanted an unusually long minimum stay, and we got them down to what we wanted.

   4. You do NOT need the perfect venue. The best weddings I have been to have great logistics–they aren’t the prettiest. Spend your money on making stuff run smoothly and take stress off yourself. No one really cares what your wedding looks like if the guests aren’t comfortable and you are too stressed to enjoy your own party.

   5. Depending on your budget, you could offer them a higher F&B spend or a room rental in exchange for a reduced or no-block situation.

10. I was wondering if anyone utilized crash diets at all any more – before a big event or as a habit breaker and motivator to kick off a longer weight loss journey. I have a lot to lose but I get so discouraged so quickly these days. I honestly feel like if I could get some initial results (even if water weight), I could build up the willpower to keep going. Coincidentally I have a wedding in a few weeks I’d like to look great at, so double duty. Any tips? Advice?

    1. I used to cut carbs for 2 weeks before big events but that was when my metabolism was a little faster. I also have an old friend’s wedding in a few weeks, so following this thread for any advice/plans.

    2. I don’t think this is really a crash diet, but I had success doing South Beach. Especially during phase 1 where it is most restrictive, I lost enough weight to give me some motivation to keep going.

       1. Ditto. Whenever I need a kick in the pants or a diet reset, I do South Beach Phase 1. It isn’t a crash diet per se, but leads to rapid weight loss and works longer term (at least for me).

    3. I’ve not done one, but I think many still do and just refer to them as “cleanses” now.

       1. Yup. Or “challenges.”

       2. LOL.

    4. There is a big difference between a crash diet and a strict but healthy diet. The former will do you no favors at all; depriving yourself of enough calories to function will slow your metabolism, leave you feeling tired and weak, and will probably cause you to binge eat and feel bad about yourself when you find that you can’t take it anymore. But if you want to go “all out” in starting a new diet because it motivates you, that’s doable – you just need to be eating enough nutrients to stay healthy. Try cutting out all added sugar, alcohol, and processed foods, and only cooking your own food. You can then ease up on these restrictions one at a time as you feel like you can consume these things without going overboard.

    5. South beach does that, I think. A lot of people like it.

    6. Cut out carbs temporarily. It’s the ONLY thing that has ever worked for me. Eat a lot of protein and veggies at meals (being mindful of high carb veggies) and you can easily knock off a few “inspiration” pounds to get the ball rolling. I feel like cleanses/challenges go way too far in the restrictive direction, whereas you can still eat a lot of great food when you cut carbs.

    7. Professionally planned meals. Seriously. They are expensive but they work fast. I lost a ton of weight in just a few months using Diet To Go. When I stopped, I reverted to my old habits and gained it all back. But it got me started.

       Just today, I found a meal planning service for vegan and plant-based diet people called Meal Mentor. The individual plan is a 1200 cal/day diet that I’m considering for getting out of a weight loss plateau that I’ve been in for 9 months now (is that still a plateau?).

    8. I just lost 20 lbs in 6 weeks. Going anon for this in case anyone IRL notices, I think this would out me.

       I did it high protein, low fat, low carb and lots of exercise.
       Breakfast: egg whites, spinach, 1/4 cup uncooked oatmeal (cook it but only eat that much)
       Am snack: chicken breast or 1/2 c greek yogurt or low fat cottage cheese
       Lunch: 2 cups veggies, 4-5 oz chicken or ground turkey, 1/4 c. brown rice (cooked then measure) or 1/4 c sweet potato or 1/4 c quinoa (cook then measure)
       Pm snack: same as am snack
       Dinner: same as lunch
       Post dinner snack: same as am snack

       It was very restrictive but I was not hungry and it worked.

       1. I think I need to do this. Did you find the guidelines on a website?

    9. I just started keto last Monday after I came back from a wedding feeling a little frustrated with myself. I’m down 7#. I know full well most of it is water weight and I have been careful to keep my electrolytes up, but it is still a nice motivator to see the number on the scale go down rapidly.

       I used the FAQ on Reddit keto to get started. Generally between 25-40 net grams of carbs a day (they recommend under 20). I was actually sick when I started so don’t know if I had any carb flu but now I feel great. My lifts at the gym were down a little bit it comes back. Had somebody I hadn’t seen for 2 weeks come up and tell me I looked great!

    10. Here is what works for me when i need to lose 5-10 pounds. I usually see at least 5 pounds come off in 2 weeks:

        -No drinking alcohol
        -No carbs of any kind
        -Every other day, eat only 4 tablespoons of peanut butter (not the kind with sugar). Nothing else. You will be hungry, but you just remember that the next day you can eat other things
        -On the non-peanut butter days, eat small but healthy meals, including hard boiled eggs, chicken breast, lettuce or other vegetables with olive oil, small squares of cheese
        -Metamucil or Senna to keep things moving

    11. Yep, I’m the same as you and give up quickly on WW and other programs where following the program perfectly results in 0.5 lb per week weight loss. I recognize that 0.5 lb per week weight loss is healthier and more sustainable, but when you have 50-75lbs to lose it means you’re staring down the barrel of a 2-3 year diet which is disheartening. I do best on a diet with limited calorie tracking/meal prepping because I don’t prefer to spend my time that way, and I’ve lost 12 lbs in 4 weeks drinking a protein shake for like breakfast and lunch, eating a normal dinner with my husband, and eating 4-5 high protein snacks throughout the day.

11. Does anyone have a good recipe for a stirfry sauce? I’ve been using one that I combined from a couple recipes but I’m getting bored with it… The one I’ve been using is pretty soy sauce based so I’d like something different if possible.

    thanks all!

    1. Instead of a sauce, I usually use seasoned rice wine vinegar. I like it because it’s much less salty. I sometimes make a spicy garlic eggplant stir fry by using sriracha and maybe a dash of vinegar. It combines with the oil from the pan to season everything.

12. I’m moving to a large market to practice corporate Biglaw – and have a question about apartments. I have the option of renting an apartment from an associate who is moving. I would rent the apt sight unseen but I’ve spoken to the associate about it, he has taken pictures, and it seems ideal, apart from location. The apartment is large, sunny, has a dishwasher, has a washer/dryer in unit, has a balcony, etc. etc.

    The commute to work would be a 10 min walk to the subway plus a 2-stop subway ride (total of 25 min), or a 35-40 minute walk. Does that seem to far? I currently live a 7 min walk away from work and it has been wonderful (and my hours are not typical biglaw right now, so I imagine having a short commute is even better with those hours).

    1. You just described the ideal apartment and commute. What could be wrong with it?

       1. Eh, depends on your perspective. Big Law hours are crazy and it would be worth it to a lot of people (me included) to pay more to be closer.

    2. Are you moving from a smaller city to NYC? A 25 minute, 2 stop commute is pretty awesome here. Sure, walking distance is better, but I currently have a 25-30 min commute and it’s amazing compared to all my previous apartments.

    3. Have you checked out the rental market in the area? How much of a premium would a shorter commute have?

       A lot of large markets have a shortage of housing–you might not be able to find better.

       1. Sydney – I am moving from NYC to another major market, and anticipate longer hours than I have had here.

          Padi – We would be able to get an apartment closer, but it would not be as nice, and might not be as big. But there are closer apartments in our budget.

          1. Wow! That’s a nice choice to have. I guess it comes down to what you want: location or space.

             I would check out the local amenities near both. For example, if there is a grocery store/gym/wine bar/parking within walking distance of one but not the other, I might favor it.

          2. Ah I see. I think the trade off will be whether you want your home is more of a sanctuary when you can get away from work or whether you’d prefer the shorter commute so your work days seem 30 min shorter.

             I agree with padi and would try to get a sense of each neighborhood.

             1. The issue is that we have to decide in the next few days without seeing the apartment or traveling to the city and seeing the neighborhood. I can see it on google maps, but can’t walk around.

                The benefit of doing this would be getting it out of the way and knowing that we end up with a nice apartment – we could not take it, look, and end up with an apartment that we are not as happy with. But who knows…

             2. Use google street view to take a virtual walk in each neighborhood

    4. It would be very helpful to know what city you’re going to practice in. In NYC that commute is short, in other cities like Philly or Boston that commute is pretty long and I’d recommend finding a place closer to work.

       1. I realize this is all relative and a personal preference, but in my circle of friends a 25 min commute in Boston is not long at all. I think OP might be the only one who can answer this for herself because it depends on tolerance for commute, public transportation, etc.

          1. My current commute is in NYC, moving to another very large market.

             1. Consider public transit reliability – are the train schedules normal or no? late nights or no? is it easy to get a taxi if you can’t take the train, etc.

       2. Agree with Opal. My Boston commute is a 10-minute drive to the T, plus a 45+ minute T ride, plus a 10-minute walk. I think her commute plus the fabulous apartment sounds ideal! I’m jealous!

    5. a 25 minute commute is not too far.

    6. Not sure if you’ll come back to check this, but I lived really close to work the first couple years of Corporate Biglaw, and now LOVE my 35-40 minute walk to work. I listen to podcasts/audiobooks and know that I’m getting in enough walking to stay sane/relatively healthy no matter what. It also makes home much more HOME.

13. I’m in a vegetable side-dish rut. What are your favorites?

    Only thing I don’t really like is Asian-style stir fry.

    1. I liked roasted veggies (tossed in olive oil and then baked in the oven). My favorites are brussels sprouts and butternut squash but I also regularly do green beans, broccoli and carrots.

       1. +1

          I do this too, and love asparagus, broccoli, and a mixture of roasted root veg – sweet potato, beets, parsnips etc..

       2. +1 Baby yellow potatoes, brussels, and squash is my jam right now.

    2. Roasted cauliflower
       Raw okra tossed with lime juice and kosher salt
       Jerusalem/Israeli Salads
       Roasted broccoli (google Adam Roberts’s recipe for best broccoli ever)
       Mashed sweet potatoes mixed with a little Greek yogurt
       Green beans almondine (saute some green beans and throw in some sliced almonds)
       Mashed cauliflower
       Cauliflower fried “rice”
       Zucchini sauteed with butter and EVOO and tons of fresh garlic
       Steamed carrots (can do in microwave) tossed with a little sriracha and honey

    3. Ina Garten’s Balsamic Roasted Brussel Sprouts. Easy, and the pancetta and balsamic really give it nice flavor.

    4. This is the best butternut squash recipe: http://www.ottolenghi.co.uk/roasted-butternut-squash-red-onion-with-tahini-za-atar-shop

       Saute some asparagus in olive oil for about 10 minutes on medium high until you see brown bits. Generously salt and pepper, then squeeze lemon juice all over it.

       Google hasselback zucchini. Delicious and easy.

    5. Google crepes of wrath Brussels sprouts and sunchoke salad. I make it without the meat and everyone I’ve made it for has asked for the recipe.

14. I just wanted to say how much I appreciate this s i t e. I am not a lawyer or a banker, I’m an administrative assistant but I work in the legal depart of a bank and reading the comments here has helped me understand so much of what goes on around here and in the firms I deal with and why things are done the way they are. More than half of my wardrobe is from clothing and shoes I saw on this s i t e and I get compliments all the time. So thank you.

    1. You sound awesome! I’m glad you found this s!te.

15. Any other Canadians here? I’m from Toronto. Interested if there are any other r e t t e s are north of the 49th parallel.

    1. There definitely are (I’m not among them, though) — but I’d repost in the morning for better responses.

       1. Thanks. I will do that.

          1. Hey there, fellow Canadian. Stay warm.

    2. Hello! I think there are a fair few of us. I am way north of the 49th….

    3. Hey! Fellow Canadian. I think there are a lot of us!

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