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I was checking out Boden recently (lots of new sale items, including some cute summer dresses) and somehow fell down a rabbithole of cute shoes. I absolutely adore multi-colored heels like this, and Boden has a ton!
I think the purple/lavender/red ones above are my favorite, but this shoe also comes in a mixture of blues. Obviously, sandals aren't appropriate for every office, but there are these awesome, colorful strappy pumps… For women who aren't into heels, these colorful flat sandals also look great. The pictured sandals are $190.
(Aww, Boden also has a whole “StayHome” section of its site!)
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Sales of note for 8.30.24
- Nordstrom – Summer Sale, save up to 60%
- Ann Taylor – 30% off full-price purchase; $99 jackets, dresses & shoes; extra 50% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50-70% off everything + extra 20% off
- Bergdorf Goodman – Final Days Designer Sale, up to 75% off; extra 20% off sale
- Boden – 20% off
- Brooks Brothers – Extra 25% off clearance
- Eloquii – Up to 60% off everything; extra 60% off all sale
- J.Crew – 40% off sitewide; extra 60% off sale styles
- J.Crew Factory – Extra 20% off orders $125+; extra 60% off clearance; 60%-70% off 100s of styles
- Lo & Sons – Summer sale, up to 50% off (ends 9/2)
- Madewell – Extra 40% off sale; extra 50% off select denim; 25% off fall essentials
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Rothy's – End of season sale, up to 50% off
- Spanx – Lots of workwear in the big sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – 25% off regular-price purchase; 70% off clearance
- White House Black Market – Up to 70% off sale
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anononon
Boden shoes kill me. I love ALL of them.
FormerlyPhilly
Boden flats kill my feet, and not in a good way. Painful. Is there a type that generally works well for most people – Boden heels? Boden sandals?
Anon
I’ve only ever ordered one pair of Boden shoes and they were way too narrow for me, which is a real bummer because I do love so many of their shoes.
Anonymous
Consider it a blessing in disguise? What if they had fit and been comfortable? You’d be me, trying to remind yourself that if a shoe is suede, you will have a red sauce accident somehow and ruin them in five or fewer wearings. And all of them are so darn cute!!!
lsw
Me too – I love them all and they are so gorgeous, but they run way small and narrow for me. And I do count it as a blessing haha
MagicUnicorn
These are cute, but I dread the day I can no longer “go” to work in slippers or while barefoot.
Leatty
Sooo…I learned that most of my company (a F100 company) won’t return to the office until 2021. I know this is the right call, but I’m so not looking forward to working from home for another 8+ months.
Anonymous
I mean, is it the right call?
Anonymous
i think it’s way too early to make this call. i’m sorry :(
Anon
Yeah, I think this MAY end up being the right call but it seems extremely premature.
Anonymous
Not the OP but for my company definitely. Turns out we can all work from home nearly exclusively. Us doing so will help limit a lot of contacts at no cost to our business.
anon
Right call or not, at least OP knows what to expect. My employer is basically giving us a shrug emoji and I don’t love the uncertainty. I would probably make some changes to my current WFH setup if I knew for sure I was in it for another 8 months.
Anon
I kind of wish this happens to me…I got used to working from home and I enjoy it.
Loving WFH
+1
MagicUnicorn
Me too. My office is planning a tentative soft opening (staggered hours, with head count restrictions and parenting flexibility) over the summer depending on how our area is doing, but I wish they would make the return optional until much further out.
Pink
+1 I’m in the same boat as you, MagicUnicorn. I’ve said my piece on it so many times here but I am…not thrilled with this approach.
anon
same – but i’m in gov’t and there’s no way they’ll let us WFH indefinitely. i desperately wish i could though.
Mrs. Jones
+1
sillyGurl
Yes, but at least we don’t have to wear heels at home ?
Anon
I have a new baby and went straight from maternity leave to WFH. I absolutely love it, even though I was not much a fan of WFH before. It’s so much fun to sit next to him and listen to him try to talk and play with his toys while I get work done.
Anon
I WFH almost full time before this and enjoyed it, but now I’m desperate to go to an office and have contact with humans who aren’t in my immediate family.
Anonymous
That’s what friends are for
Anon
I don’t really have local friends (just acquaintances) and it isn’t safe to travel to see my friends.
Monday
I don’t like my work situation right now either (telehealth, working from office) but I think I’d welcome any forecast of what we’re doing and for how long. This is NOT to invalidate your issue. Just reflecting that I have no sense of what my job will look like in 8 months or any time in the interim, and I wish I did. I’m actually most concerned that we will re-open and then have to re-close in fall/winter. The transitions are a mess.
Walnut
Solidarity. I miss my team and all of the random conversations. I also miss celebrating everyone (birthdays! babies! new roles! big project hits! treating someone to lunch because they’re awesome!) I miss declaring immediate happy hour to drown out a train wreck meeting.
Never too many shoes...
Sames, Walnut.
gail
+1. Miss all of this more than I can say.
Away Game
Agree Walnut!
My org just sent out their plan. No start date, but when we go back, it will be a phased approach with about 10-30% of the workforce back in the first phase, of “non-vulnerable” people only, and with policies on masks in common areas and social distancing. The next two phases will be after a period of weeks, with arrows headed back to phase 0 or previous phases if we need to stop/revert. I have to say, I like that there is a plan, I like that there is no start date yet (apparently waiting for the local govt data), and I like that managers are being told to take a very very flexible approach to vulnerable. (Staff decides, and don’t have to say what health condition or if it’s due to member of the household vulnerability, etc.) Of my team of about 12, I think there are 4-5 of us who really want to get back to the office on most days, and probably 2-3 people who should remain isolated for a while yet, so it should work well for my particular team.
anon
just reading walnut’s post made me sad – I had a job like that, a long time ago, with co-workers I respected and whose company I genuinely enjoyed. Now that I no longer have that, though, I would kick puppies to keep WFH.
Anonymous
I wish my company would give us as much direction as yours! None of my team or bigger org needs to be on-site but we keep getting vague emails about preparing to return to work as soon as it is “safe”. What does “safe” mean? And if we do not need to be there in person, should we? We’ve actually been doing more work remotely than usual (I suspect due to fewer meetings) so I’m even more puzzled. At the office we have a big open office layout and would just be around tons of people.
Anonymous
I think it could be the right call. For example, if workers have to take a crowded subway to get there and if the work can easily be done at home.
Anon
Honestly, safety is my number 1 concern. If working from home does not prevent you from completing your work, why risk it?
Anonymous
For me, the problem isn’t completion. It’s taking 12 hours to do 8 hours worth of work. Meals for a family don’t cook themselves. Kids have new content and zero instruction. My commute in short. Even 6 hours in the office on half of the days is a total gift to me (trading off with spouse).
Internet remotely is slower. IDK why outlook crashes. Better printer/scanner. Internet not randomly doing down (thanks! really great to have on a zoom meeting).
Anon
Surely you can understand why people miss working in the office even if they will continue to work from home for safety reasons, right? Your comment is totally unhelpful and pointless in this conversation.
Anon
My company announced this about two weeks ago. We are a tech company that worked across continents pretty seamlessly (before COVID), so it was not that big of a transition. I’m seriously considering putting my things in storage and becoming a digital nomad for the next few months. My dog and I can SIP in a new location monthly (carefully). It seems like a cool opportunity to me.
WWYD -- older kids
We have been WFH for 2 months; schools are closed. Camps may not happen. My work is reopening. DH and I are both essential but offices have been generous or mandated WFH. My office gets that childcare is an issue for getting us back in. I’d like to go in more so that it doesn’t take me 12 hours to do 8 hours of work.
My kids are 10 and 11. They really just need to be fed lunch and dinner. Since they are mostly indoors, they can handle their boredom (screen time, more screen time, some drawing and reading, some faux school). They can’t really go out and do anything.
Do I get a nanny to help with the days in the office? To watch them watch TV (etc.)? Spouse is on calls all day, so also practicing minimal parenting. Do I need minimal parenting + nanny? There are only so many times we can walk around the block (or: around the block on bikes!).
Leatty
Can you do a part-time nanny? That will take some of the burden off of you and your husband, but still ensure that your kids get some structured time.
Anonymous
IDK — other than more walks and some meal prep, what can a nanny do now? Can’t go to the store with kids (kids have to stay in car). Can’t go hiking (some parking lots closed; definitely no open bathrooms). Does she watch them stay inside the house with parents? Does not seem worth the $.
Anon
my bff just hired someone who was supposed to be a counselor at a sleep-away camp (which was canceled) to help out with her kids. at your kids’ ages, I wouldn’t necessarily say you need someone with traditional nannying experience, but a high school or college kid would probably be fine. you might even be able to find someone who is interested/eager to help them with their schoolwork.
Anonymous
Alternate WFH days with your spouse so one of you is always home but you still have some time in the office to get stuff done. Give the kids a list of things to accomplish each day and have them make lunch. Don’t waste money on a nanny to watch them watching TV.
Samantha
Or make a healthy lunch and keep in the fridge for them to reheat in the microwave.
Anonymous
You don’t need a nanny if your spouse is home.
Anonymous
My kids are 9 and 11. My husband is an essential employee and so gone all day. I am a lawyer working from home. I often have calls and video court appearances or client meetings I have to do throughout the day. My kids are basically on their own haha. I always take a lunch break and we go for a 45 minute bike ride and then spend 15 minutes eating lunch. They have a list of things they have to do each day, a mix of school stuff and chores. Then they can watch TV or whatever while I work. I wouldn’t pay a nanny since your husband is home. If he really is too busy to make lunch then buy things the kids can fix on their own. They can make a sandwich and grab a piece of fruit.
SC
Honestly, I don’t think you need minimal parenting + a nanny. Kids who are 10 and 11 really just need minimal parenting/childcare during the days in the summer. Boredom may be a good thing for them. They can be taught to feed themselves lunch and snacks, and you and/or your husband can be available for dinner. Several generations of children have spent their summers this way.
My parents both worked full-time outside the house. During the summers, I spent a few weeks at summer camp. Otherwise, they hired a teenager or college student. When I was 10-12, they were there basically in case of emergency/to make sure I didn’t burn down the house/to supervise if I wanted to go swimming. Mostly, they watched me watch TV. I would not pay for this service if another adult were home and breathing. If I had a lot more money than I do, I’d pay for someone who was willing to be that adult plus do light housework like laundry and dishes and get dinner started? It might not be easy to find that person.
Juliska
SC – if your kids are 10 and 11, they can do dishes and laundry. If they haven’t done it before, give them a few lessons, but they’re old enough. I started doing the family dishwashing starting at that age. The only reason I didn’t do laundry is because we had to drive to a laundromat, although I knew how to use the machines. Actual cooking may be too much, but they can help with prep and clean-up.
Coach Laura
I was talking with a coworker (single mom, kids 10 and 13) and she mentioned that the kids need structure and some summer school because their brains have turned mushy. And she needs to go to the office for her sanity.
I said that what she needs is a college-aged tutor/nanny/driver and hire the student for the summer. 9-3 or so. Have them tutor 9-11 in the morning, have lunch, drive/bike/walk to pool or park or somewhere (legally, after shutdown is lifted). My twin nieces just finished their first year of college, were high school honor students and taught sailing camps for each of the past three summers. I just mentioned this to my nieces and they are going to try to do this.
It’s a win-win because many many college kids won’t be able to get camp counselor or bartending or other summer positions. Most internships are cancelled. The college kids need the money, parents need care.
If you start looking now, when your SIP order is done, you might find someone. If you have neighbors or family locally, you might be able to combine it so that there are two families with one tutor/nanny.
AFT
My kids are 7 and 9 and we’re hiring a college student nanny (hopefully) because while we’ve skated by so far with 2 adults/2 kids at home, I want my kids to have a little more attention and activity over the summer. While DH and I have been WFH the last ~2 months, the kids are getitng a ton of screen time and not much outside time or attention. Once we start going back to work (in the office or at depositions or court hearings or ???) and it’s on just one of us, it will be even less. So while I get not wanting to hire a nanny (and my kids are younger than yours so may be more self-sufficient in a few years), my hope is that their summer is better for us having hired a nanny.
Bored
If you could design an office, what would it have? Not just for you, for your whole company?
Completely open? Cubicles? Somewhere in between?
Common areas? Kitchen? Plants?
Free food? Free snacks? Free beer on tap like WeWork used to have?
Anon
Glass offices. No one likes the idea of being in a fishbowl but I had one at my last job and it actually worked well. The entire office had natural light rather than being blocked by offices on the outside walls, and it prompted more interaction because even though I was behind glass I wasn’t as cut off from my coworkers. I would do it again in a heartbeat.
Anon
No open offices. Even before the pandemic, the science said that they make people less productive. After this mess, who on earth wants their coworkers breathing all over them?
I would love if it my company had a small gym with locker rooms and a shower.
Anon
+1
pugsnbourbon
Even if there’s no budget for a workout room, access to a shower is great for folks who bike to work.
Anon
I might be in the minority, but I actually would prefer no free snacks. I don’t struggle with my weight, but I think part of that is because I simply don’t keep snack food around. But if it’s there I will eat it. (I know, this can start a whole debate about my willpower is not other’s problem, but I stand where I stand).
Senior Attorney
Same, no snacks.
Although I loved it when I worked in BigLaw and they had a lunchroom with fancy healthy lunch every day. I don’t think it was free but I think it was subsidized.
Small Law Partner
I take this as I am designing an office for my business, so this is cost-conscious. Enclosed offices with no glass walls or glass doors for more senior employees; those high-walled cubicles that have a sliding door for staff. No live plants – attract bugs. Kitchen – espresso machine, regular coffee machine, maybe cold brew on tap depending on the cost, hot water pot or dispenser for tea, fridge, ice machine, dishwasher. Only reusable cups/mugs. No free snacks or alcohol.
Anon New Yorker
I would be so sad if I couldn’t have plants in my office! The day they announced we were closing, I looked like an insane person bringing home all my plants on the subway.
Anon
Yeah, we have plants including one in my office and I have never noticed bugs. But we’re high up in a modern building, so maybe depends? But I think there are some important air quality benefits to having plants.
Vicky Austin
I would kill to have a better means to make tea than the ubiquitous Keurigs the big boss insists on. (Don’t get me started.)
Small Law Partner
I think area of the country might matter with plants, as might type of building. Pre-covid, we were always having orb-weaving spiders come inside our office and build webs on plants. Maybe our building needs to better pest control, but I have the same problems at home. I recently had a showdown between a lizard and a massive Wolf spider in my living room (spider won). Maybe I just need to move. :D
Also, I’d ban Keurigs Vicky. At least get decent tea bags and a hot water source, and if people want to bring loose leaf go for it. A regular drip coffee pot is still better than the pods.
No Longer Anon
Things that seem basic but apparently aren’t:
– Predictable, seasonally appropriate heat and AC. I’ve been in 3 buildings for my current job and all 3 of them had weird heat/AC issues. No heat in some offices, hot in the summer, AC shut off from 10-3 for some unknown reason, etc.
– Natural sunlight. Even if cubicles are required, set them up in a way that everyone gets natural light. One building I’ve spent time in lines the cubicles up with the floor to ceiling windows. Good lighting also goes with this.
– A kitchen with the basics- milk/half and half, cutlery, fridge space, hot and cold water dispenser, dishwasher if possible, first aid and OTC meds.
Offices with doors are best- even small offices where someone can get a little bit of quiet or privacy are better than being out in a huge open space where you can’t ever really focus.
I do love the idea of having snacks or drinks but I see how that could be a problem. If Coke is there, I’m drinking it.
A dedicated pumping and nursing space with comfortable chairs, a fridge, a sink, and privacy. Ideally multiple people could use it at once and each have their own private space. But if not, a locking door.
A self-care room. Maybe this is a social services thing, but having a place to go to decompress after a rough call is so nice. The one I’m thinking about has a loveseat, a chair, a yoga mat, a yoga ball, bookshelves with books staff bring in, a little table, and a lamp so the overhead lights can be dimmed or off.
pugsnbourbon
My employer (higher ed administration) does a combo of mid-height cubes plus “focus rooms” for calls, people who need more quiet, small meetings, etc. It works reasonably well. Desks or modules that adjust to standing height are frequently requested.
Dedicated room for nursing mothers with good seating, lighting, a fridge, etc (we have a long way to go here)
A note about the glass offices mentioned above – agreed that they offer amazing natural light. However, consider sight lines and exits – you can’t shelter-in-place in a fully glass office. I hate that we have to think about this but it’s come up recently in my work.
No Longer Anon
Also, I sometimes need privacy in my office (chronic illness) and that’s difficult with all glass.
Anon
I posted about the glass office above. I was the manager of the office but I didn’t necessarily feel like I was more entitled to privacy than anyone else.
We had a designated private pumping room for that particular concern. And anyway, most of the people who needed to pump would be in cubicles anyway, because most of the staff were in cubicles.
Anon
You can’t pump in a glass office.
Anon
I have a glass office (with a glass door). It’s generally fine and I like how open it makes the office feel. But I will say, at least in ours, you can hear everything the people in the offices next to you are saying. It’s better than being in a cube next to each other, and you can drown them out okay, but you can never count on having a truly private conversation. I have to sneak into conference rooms or outside for those. Just something to consider.
Vicky Austin
A design oddity that still irks me: the bathrooms on our hall share a wall with the CEO’s office. Maybe, you know, not that.
Anon
My firm put a large conference table right outside the women’s bathroom. The table/workspace is frequently used, and you can hear EVERYTHING.
Anonymous
I have spent a lot of time thinking about this for a work project. I am strongly opposed to open office floorplans. They’re noisy, bad for productivity, don’t actually increase collaboration, and even before pandemic, bad hygiene. My current office has glass-front offices that are frosted to about 6 feet, which means they still let natural light in for the interior offices but also have some privacy. If you absolutely must do open-office for whatever reason, rather than one huge room, I’d do smaller rooms of open-floorplan desks (like just put one smaller team in a room rather than a bunch of teams). Plenty of fridge space for people bringing lunch. I love free soda, because I am not a coffee drinker and need my caffeine source.
anon
so much this. I switch between a lot of buildings and the newer ones all have cubicles. Our work is very creative and benefits from exchanging ideas and brainstorming together. However, there is also a need for deep focus work. The buildings where you can get work done in a cubicle have a strong departmental drive to keep noise low and separate spaces for socializing and ample conference/phone call rooms. One of them has the communal kitchen/lunch area and reception desk right next to the cubes. So either never speak when you go get a coffee, or bear the death stares of people trying to work.
Anonymous
My dream office: Frosted glass offices with small footprint (especially given Covid, everyone needs walls. The don’t need a whole lot of floor space. Add firm owned shades that can be installed for people who pump.) Variety of breakout rooms with actual walls. (These can also serve as shelter in place locations as well as the bathrooms.) Free drinks (including good coffee) but no snacks. A gym and shower (you could do this on the cheap with a communal Peloton and bathroom with a shower.)
Anon
Does anyone have any recommendations for an OBGYN in the DC area? 28, married, been using my primary care doctor for a well woman exam every year. My husband and I are looking to have kids in the next 3-4 years, so would like to build a relationship with one. Would want them to have admitting privileges at a non-catholic hospital (I hear Sibley is where you ideally want to deliver).
Anonymous
Where do you live? Are you likely to stay there? Ditto work. For an uneventful pregnancy, you go weekly at the end, so you want some place not totally inconvenient to the two places you’ll likely be in a day. For me, I went with the venn intersection of “friends with kids love” and “close”. But if you live in Alex and work on the Hill, you don’t want the “best” place if it is in Silver Spring.
Anonymous
I’d choose one that’s reasonably convenient for you. If they will be your OB, you’ll be seeing a lot of them for 9 months or so. If you post where specifically you are looking, you’ll get more helpful answers. I really like Northern Virginia Physicians to Women in Arlington and had a good experience delivering at VHC.
j
I love and highly recommend Dr. Loveland at Bloom OBGYN. I transferred with her from Reiter Hill a few years ago, which is a big practice downtown. I’ve used her for well woman/birth control and my SIL used the practice for a recent pregnancy. They deliver at Sibley. Getting up to Tenleytown is kind of a pain, but they’re about a block from the Metro.
Anonymous
I was a patient of Dr Loveland’s at Reuter Hill and loved her!
Stephanie
I also adored Dr. Loveland. She’s wonderful and hilarious, and just a gift to medicine. I’m so glad to hear she left R&H because that practice is not my favorite. I also really liked Dr. Wolf but she delivers at Fairfax Inova, not sure if that’s too far. Good luck to you!
Anonymous
Where in DC area do you live? GW is also really great for deliveries. I was with the midwives twice but several friends have delivered with their OBs and been very happy. I’d pick a provider based off what’s convenient for you for prenatal appointments, location-wise. When they’re several times a month, it’s really nice to have them close to your office.
anon for this
Anecdata, but the group of friends that delivered at VHC (and me) had way better experiences than the ones at Sibley. I can’t speak to the quality of medical care, but everyone I know who has gone to VHC has been very happy with it, whereas Sibley is just… fine. If that is geographically workable for you, both Capital Womens Care and Arlington Women’s Center have practices that deliver there. AWC has midwives and OBs.
Walnut
No doctor recommendation, but I screened my preferred hospital based on whether or not they were “Baby Friendly”. I wanted the ability to easily request formula and to be able to send my baby to the nursery, which are easier to accomplish if the hospital is not “baby friendly”.
Anonymous
I had my kid at Sibley just before they before they opened the new labor and delivery wing. It is having a child, not going to a spa. So I had low expectations for an experience. The nurses were amazing but it has been several years so I am not sure if the procedures have changed. They took great care of me and my child.
Anonymous
Someone asked about egg expiration dates last week and it was eye opening so here’s my question — yogurt. Do or don’t you abide by the sell by dates on yogurt? I have a stash of the Chobani Greek yogurt bottles — a few expired 2 days ago and a few next week. I’d think these would be ok as there are literally Greek yogurt watered down a bit to make it drinkable but what do you all say?
Anon
I’m sure most people will find this gross, but if it doesn’t look funny or smell funny (or in the case of eggs, act funny in water), I eat or drink it. I would almost definitely drink two-day-expired yogurt bottles.
anon
+1 smell is more important than date
Senior Attorney
Same.
Anon
Same here. If it’s sealed up, I consider it probably OK (barring off-taste/smell/appearance) for several months after the date.
Anon
I apply this to pretty much all foods. If there’s no visible mold and it doesn’t smell, it’s good. Definitely for yogurt, at least.
Senior Attorney
And don’t get me started about trimming the mold of the cheese…
Anon
Open them up; it will be obvious.
Vicky Austin
+1. Don’t be afraid of a little separation unless it actually smells.
NY CPA
Follow up question: almond milk yogurt — how long after the “sell by” date can you eat it? I have some stuff that’s about a week past its date and hoping it’s still ok. It’s hard to know though because I’m not sure if it would have the same (or at least as noticeable) rancid smell as when cow milk spoils.
Anonymous
I’ve had almond milk at least a week or two past the date. At some point, it starts to separate a bit, and that’s when I’ve chucked it.
Alex
It’s good for at least a week after sell-by, I’d guess – that’s the date the store should have it sold by, not the date it needs to be consumed by. Also, it’s yogurt. By some definitions, it’s gone bad already. If it doesn’t look/smell/taste weird, I’d probably call it good.
Anonymous
I would still eat/drink them. It’s not like they automatically expire at midnight on the date printed. There’s some wiggle room built in (and with yogurt, sour cream, and cheese, it’s usually a fair amount of wiggle room). If they’ve somehow turned already, you’ll know when you open them. I’ve knowingly consumed yogurt several weeks after its sell-by date.
Jules
I’ve eaten yogurt WAY past the nominal expiration date (like, weeks and weeks). If it isn’t visibly moldy and doesn’t smell bad, I think it’s fine. The whole point is that it’s cultured with bacteria, right?
MagicUnicorn
You can also freeze yogurt if you can’t use it in time. The texture gets grainy, but if you use it for smoothies or mixed in to something like granola it is a negligible difference.
Anon
Reading fail at 3:30 in the afternoon: I read the previous post above this one asking for an OBGYN and thought that “egg expiration” was referring to fertility so got really confused when the question went to yogurt.
Anonymous
I had the same thought!
Anon
I use yogurt and buttermilk past the expiration dates. They have live active cultures. They’re fine.
LaurenB
Absolutely. I worked in the food industry for many years. Expiration dates are based on pretty much nothing, to be honest — it’s not about food safety, it’s about the best flavor. But it’s not like the flavor goes off a cliff, it just declines modestly.
I bought a bunch of yogurt at the start of the pandemic (because of a great sale) and I wound up freezing a lot of it and I just take it out and thaw in the fridge. I’m sure it’s way past expiration date at this point. It’s fine.
Anonymous
I’d eat it without a second thought. I use my nose and eyes and common sense to detect when food is spoiled, not a date on the container. I’m cautious with raw meat, but practically nothing else.
Housecounsel
I am extremely respectful of/afraid of expiration dates, particularly on dairy products. I never eat anything past its due date. Yes, I know it is a little over the top but I drank expired orange juice out of the carton once and am scarred. I went grocery shopping early this morning and there was a lot of expired Siggi’s on the shelf. I thought about bringing it to the attention of someone in store management, but I heard a voice in my head whispering, “Karen . . . .”
Anonymous
I mean, I eat expired dairy all the time, but I definitely wouldn’t buy expired dairy and would be really annoyed if I did that accidentally.
Ymanon
Stilltasty dot com is quite useful for various “is it safe to eat?” “can I freeze it” type questions.
Anonymous
Oh, gosh – unopened yogurt is good for weeks/months after the date on the package. Really. Opened, not so much.
Anon
We got notified today that the day summer camp where my 13 yo son was going to be a camp helper/junior counselor is canceled for the summer. I am not so much worried about “what am I going to do with him” – he’s pretty self-sufficient and I also think at my company, we’ll be working from home at least until then. I am just sad for him. He had to interview for the job; we got him a dress shirt and he got dressed up and interviewed and had to get references and everything. He had been notified he was accepted and was really excited and now he’s pretty bummed. It just sucks.
Anon
I feel bad for kids like your son plus the internships and entry level jobs that are being cancelled. It’s all terrible. I’m sorry for your kid.
Anonymous
Same — I know a lot of kids are doing YouTube channels just to have an outlet for their art and other bits of creativity. And also for tutoring videos. Maybe that to fill his time and to show he did something useful or amusing with his time?
Monday
It’s such a bummer. I have a younger cousin (early 30s) who was about to launch a business serving international tourists in a large city. The plan looked great and she had established referral networks. Now it is simply not happening. Or if it can, it’s so far in the future that it might as well be never for planning purposes. She’s back at square one now. No idea what she’s going to do, and I’m not asking for now.
Anon
that is sad! do you know of any families looking for a mother’s helper? i know you aren’t worried about what to do with him, but might help a bit with some of his disappointment.
No-Face
Such a bummer.
Your son sounds like a go-getter. Can you help him make a flier for your neighborhood for babysitting/mother’s helper work for the summer? Based on the content on the moms site, there will be some parents who really need the childcare help.
Anon
Yes, we talked about this today. He is really good with smaller kids which is how he’d gotten approached about the junior counselor volunteer job in the first place. I do think there will be a lot of demand for help this summer.
Vicky Austin
Oh, that’s rough. I hope he gets to go next year.
avocado
Right there with you. I am disappointed for my 13-year-old, who is also missing out on being a junior camp counselor and on a service trip she had been really excited for. The early teen years are such an exciting time of independence for kids, and it’s heartbreaking to see them lose out on these experiences that they will never get back.
Anon
I am sorry this is happening to your daughter too. It’s just hard to see them so excited and then see the disappointment. Also realizing, they won’t get this time back and by next year his priorities will be different, engagement level may be different, etc. I know they will survive and probably learn something valuable about rebounding from disappointment, but it’s still sad.
Anon
It does suck, I’m really sorry.
anon
I’m sorry; that really does suck. :(
Anon
I really appreciate all the support and empathy today, thank you all so much.
No Longer Anon
I work at a legal aid org. We are still doing our summer internships this summer, likely fully remote. My colleague and I are co-supervising a team of 2 1L interns. How would you make sure that the experience is valuable for them? We will be very intentional about connecting with them, trying to recreate the “open door” feel of the office, the day to day shoot the sh*t mentorship, etc but what else would you all have wanted to see as interns if you were fully remote?
Anon
Tbh – -most of what I did as a law school summer could have been done remotely– research memos, etc. I think inviting them to video depos and meetings, etc. would be helpful. Also, if you could do lunch & learns or invite them to CLEs that would be helpful. I know I am coordinating some Zoom lunch & learns for summer intern program I am supervising. I would imaging you could coordinate with other legal non-profits or your local bar association.
No Longer Anon
A lot of what we do can be done remotely as well. We’ll invite them to any meetings we have as a team, like we do when they’re in the office. We also plan on having a training on a substantive topic each week that will be on video, and hopefully connect them with other attorneys like we would do in the office.
Carmen Sandiego
I accidentally posted an un-nested reply. Struggling on the computer this afternoon!
Anonymous
If you can include them in any remote court hearings or client meetings that would be really helpful. If you all have case strategy meetings, include them in those. And maybe set up weekly “happy hour” type zoom meetings that are informal but allow you all to just chat. That is what is always really valuable about mentorship and harder to do remotely.
No Longer Anon
We’ll probably conference them in to intakes, calls, etc so they get a sense for how they go. I think we’ll set up some sort of weekly meeting, maybe together as a group of 4 and then individual meetings for more of that mentorship, development, etc that would happen naturally between us in the office.
Anon
The value of internships is seeing how companies run. You are remote, but you can still do seminars on things like office-appropriate attire, how to handle internal office politics and conflict, planning a career trajectory, organisational tools, etc.
The economy might be a complete cluster when they graduate next year. Could you make sure that they all have a writing sample at the end of this experience? (There are usually issues about editing, revisions, and confidentiality.)
No Longer Anon
Yes, we’ll get them one and help them anonymize it! Big focus for us with most interns.
anon
Great suggestions above–one thing that has not yet been mentioned: allow them to have time together without you supervising. So perhaps organize a virtual trivia night for them (leave the questions with someone who’s not their supervisor), set up a few virtual happy hours (for them, not for you to join). Part of networking is letting them get to know one another and lean on another for support too, as they would in a real office.
No Longer Anon
They’re going to be working together as a team on cases so they’ll have time to collaborate and chat without us.
Carmen Sandiego
I think I accidentally deleted my first comment halfway through! Sorry if it double posts.
I am a sixth year litigator and I had just (like 2 weeks!) lateraled to a new firm when all of this hit. I am normally a pretty cynical person and am not one for forced togetherness or team-building; BUT one thing my new firm is doing that has been nice is having a Monday morning “meeting” (conference call) where we discuss our workload for the week/what is everyone working on/who has capacity/etc. and during the call, our practice group leader will ask a question about what kind of wine are you enjoying right now? what has been your favorite quarantine cocktail? what was the best thing you ate over the weekend? yesterday was Star Wars since it was May the Fourth… and then he will send out an email with everyone’s favorite wine or dish so we can connect and get recipes, etc. I would normally eye-roll this pretty hard, but right now, and esp as a brand new person, I have really appreciated the efforts to connect. It has also given me the chance to hear what others are working on and then contact them later in an email and say, hey, I heard you were working on an MSJ, let me know if I can help you out on that. And I have gotten work that way. (I’ve also been trying to randomly connect, like hey I heard you say you’ve been trying out roses, here’s one I recently had that was good!) So maybe that will give you some ideas on the “open door” feel. Also, if you guys have a chatting mechanism like Slack or even gchat (maybe not for confidential issues?)
I will also say, as for learning things. Beyond the standard things you learn as a summer associate, I think this is a great chance for law students to learn how important courts are and the role they play in adapting to a crisis. I am in New Orleans, and we were about 5-6 years out of Katrina when I was in law school, and I remember very vividly a panel of judges talking to us at I think a summer associate luncheon about how the courts had to respond to make sure that prescription (statues of limitation) don’t run on claims, that deadlines don’t pass, making sure everything is suspended. And I’ve definitely seen this time around how quickly the Louisiana courts were in adapting to this crisis now. I’m guessing in legal aid you may be dealing with things like family disputes, custody, etc., so I think this could be a great chance to say – this is something we’ve never seen before, but XYZ is super important to occur on a timely basis, and now that courts are closed, this is what they’re doing.
Just some thoughts! Good luck!
No Longer Anon
Thanks! Our particular area of law is more administrative, but if our interns have any interest in court or litigation we’ll be sure to connect them with family law, housing, or other more litigation-heavy areas of law.
We’re using Teams and our current team has a pretty constant chat going, so we’ll add them to that.
OMG
Randomly, a friend that I am friends with b/c our moms were friends (we were in different grades, then they moved), just posted a picture of her mom (who I love still) on FB. And I saw it with fresh eyes. The 1980s. The big glasses. Peplums. Hose. Heels. It was like Elizabeth Jennings from The Americans WAS my friend’s mom. Maybe vice versa. And now my mind is scrambled . . . she was such a nice lady. And now she will always look like someone who may have also killed people (NJ, 1980s, not improbable; the Sopranos used to film in our town FWIW).
Senior Attorney
Ha! Love it!