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Thursday’s Workwear Report: Floral Puff-Sleeve Midi Dress

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A woman with long brown hair wearing a red-and-white floral midi-length dress

Our daily workwear reports suggest one piece of work-appropriate attire in a range of prices.

I love a floral dress that can transition nicely from late summer to autumn. This puff-sleeve midi dress from Loft will look just as beautiful with a brown belt and white blazer in August as it will with a slouchy camel cardigan and booties in October.

Do note that it also comes in petites, so if you’re under 5’5” and tired of being swallowed up by midi dresses this summer, you’re in luck!

The dress is $99.95 full price—currently 25% off—and comes in regular sizes 00–18 and petite sizes 00–14.

Marée Pour Toi offers a plus-size option, although it's solely available in lucky sizes.

This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!

Sales of note for 3/21/25:

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

260 Comments

  1. TW: mice

    So we saw a mouse in the kitchen last night. We already had mice in November and the exterminator gave us the supposed VIP treatment and claimed we would be mice-free for two years at least. I was highly skeptical of this claim because we live in a Victorian townhouse that shares piping with a bunch of Victorian townhouses, so no much how much poison we put out there are more mice that could come. Our house is already kept pretty clean, we are being extra careful of course. Any advice? I have a dog, so no poison or glue traps where he can get to it.

    1. Did your exterminator do anything to find and block any entry points? That is how you prevent future mice from making an appearance.

      They can squeeze in through ridiculously small openings, though, so it is often easier and more cost effective to kill off mice as they appear and hope you eventually put enough of a dent in the local population that you don’t see any for a while.

      1. He didn’t, based on Ribena’s logic below – it’s a old house, there are a million possible cracks. But I do feel like they are mostly coming in through an opening near our main water valve, so I might try to block that at least…

    2. I live in a Victorian apartment so sealing up all entry points is just impossible. I try to make peace with the fact that they will inevitably come through and just try to be cleaner than other flats in the building so they don’t stick around.

      1. Oh and I just always have traps out. The last two times I’ve seen one, the first I’ve known of it was that it was in the trap. (Once last week 😱 and before then I think the last time was February??)

    3. It sounds like the mice are pretty audacious if they come into your home despite your dog. Seal points of entry as you find them (although that’s a game of whack a mole) and resign yourself to some degree of coexistence.

      1. Mice don’t care about dogs, but they sometimes care about (even lazy) cats. My wall-sharing townhouse neighbors had dogs and a horrific infestation, and they never ventured into my place.

        1. Cue memories of my sister and me trying to catch a mouse running around our living room with a broom and a shoebox (spoiler: we failed) while our dog snored on the couch!

        2. Not always the case. One of the worst places I had in terms of mice was when I had a cat (it was an older building near a field). Also had mice (and rats!) when I lived in the city and my roommate had a cat. Sometimes they are just fearless!

    4. When we lived in the utter boonies, here’s a few things that worked for mice.
      -Dryer sheets and steel wool in any random holes that you suspect they’re using.
      -Peppermint essential oil. (We got a spray by the brand name of Uncle Gus at Tractor Supply and I used to spray the dryer sheets with it before I stuffed them in the holes. I believe the brand specifically said not toxic to pets; maybe be a bit more careful if you use straight up peppermint oil.)
      -We hid the glue traps in drawers/cabinets where we knew they had been (empty of things we actually used!) and placed one half of a Reese’s thin in the middle of said glue trap. This was a tip from my husband’s grandmother and worked like a charm – but it HAS to be half!

      1. Also, this is what prompted my switch to glass jars for things like flour, sugar, etc., because then I could keep those things lower down in my limited pantry and not worry about them chewing through the containers. We lost many a box of pasta before I learned my lesson.

        1. Good point – I already use glass jars for a number of things, but could be more careful. I haven’t noticed any chewed through containers, but I’ll do a survey of what could be helped. I’m thinking the dog food may need to leave its (sealed) bag and go into something more chew/odor-proof.

          2. Definitely – we used a big flip top plastic bin from Menards for dog food and that helped us a lot! (Can you hear the Midwest coming out in that answer?)

      2. A few weeks ago, I rebuilt my dryer vent in metal because rats had eaten through the flexible one in order to steal dryer sheets and construct a nest from them. Those little f**kers LOVED dryer sheets.

      3. You can also get scented packets – maybe also from tractor supply – that you can toss in spots (we put ours behind the w/d and the basement shelving). They seemed to work pretty well if we put them where we thought they were getting in.

    5. Vaccum at least daily for kitchen. Food only in kitchen/dining area. ultrasonic plug in thingys in at least one outlet in every room. Traps left out in common spots – under kitchen sink etc.

      1. I realize it might be overkill but some people get really grossed out by them. My SIL started screaming when we mentioned the issue and couldn’t be in the room while we discussed it.

    6. Serious question: do references to mice require a trigger warning? That would never occur to me.

      1. Eh, they’re pretty gross; I can understand why that would be unpleasant to read about over your morning coffee on a site you come to for distraction.

      2. It’s funny, because I was fine with mice until they started playing under my bed one night (New York apartment)… Now I appreciate the content warning.

      3. Here you go:

        I have a basement that is hard to access. Traps are down there b/c that is where they get into the house from (pets, so cannot have traps upstairs). I didn’t check often enough once and found a mouse where the maggots inside it had ripened to where I tried to scoop up mouse + traps and the maggots + liquid sort of burst forth and now I know that if I scream bloody murder no one can hear me from the basement. Help did not arrive. It was like the SITC rescue fantasy episode where the moral of the story is that you have to rescue yourself.

        I HATE MICE; THEY ARE VILE INCONTINENT CREATURES AND IT IS WORSE STILL TO HAVE A RIPE DEAD MOUSE.

      4. I would 100% take mice over cockroaches or silverfish but it’s a personal call. We live in an old house with a stone foundation (impossible to fully seal) and regularly find/toss dead mice in the attic and basement. Still better than living in the city where I’d regularly find cockroaches in my bathroom/scuttling in and under my cabinets/sink. I don’t think I’ll ever fully recover from going to scoop dry food out for my cat and brushing up against a 3 inch cockroach who’d managed to get into the bag (uuuuggghhh).

        1. Oh hell no. I can tolerate any and all bugs (yes, even big roaches, although I was not happy when I had an apartment infested with wasps) but rodents are a big NO.

          And the funny part is that I worked with mice in grad school – handled them, did things to them – but I still jumped up on a chair and screamed when I saw one in my apartment.

          And yes, they can squeeze through tiny tiny holes. My building management brought in an exterminator who plugged up the holes and used copper wool, because apparently they will chew through steel wool. I don’t know why copper is better, but it seems to have worked…

          1. Me too! I worked with mice in grad school, but there were gloves and humane protocols. I’m not prepared for free range mice.

    7. My parents also live in a Victorian and swear by using a Kness Tip-Trap, it’s a mouse trap that tips over. It’s reusable and safe around pets.
      Also just wanted to add how I really appreciate it when people bring up questions like this. I’m moving in a month or two into a country home that I know has had a mouse problem in the past (with toddler and dog). I had not mentally gotten to the point of thinking about what I can do to prevent mice, but these tips look great. I’m taking notes.
      Thanks for asking and good luck! :)

      1. Thanks! I was very excited to move into an old, charming home after living in a modern condo, but it’s been a learning curve for sure. And our house was relatively well maintained over time, but it’s still an old house with old house problems.

    8. I’ve lived in prewar NYC apartments for 30 years, and the best thing I’ve ever used for the inevitable mice was a rat zapper with dog kibble as bait. Our old building was having a huge mouse problem when there was construction next door, and then suddenly it stopped. Turns out our friends in the next apartment got a rat zapper and were taking care of it for all of us. We got one and have trusted it ever since. It’s nice because the flashing light tells you it got something, and you can just tip the dead mouse out into the trash without touching it.

    9. My tried and true method is to get a cat, or pet sit a cat for a weekend so the dander and fur get around the house. Mice avoid the area.

      Obviously a terrible idea if someone is allergic to cats.

      1. Unfortunately my dog is not cat-friendly, and appears utterly useless as a mouse hunter :)

        1. Sympathy. My dog got a very negative performance review on the mouse portion of her job. Fortunately, she’s aces at being cute.

      2. I spy a business opportunity here. For sale: one bag of kitty fur to sprinkle throughout your home. A pinch of fur a day keeps the mice at bay!

        1. My dad used to have a neutered tom that he would rent out to elderly women who had mouse problems. The boy would go prowl around the house for a couple weeks, snuggle with his temporary owner, and kill mice. Dad would then pick him up and take him home. Everyone was happy, and Dad made some money off the little guy.

        2. I am allergic to cats but would consider this! We periodically get mice in our basement in an are adjacent to crawl space and I would absolutely put cat dander there if it would keep them away.

      3. Yep. We used to have a HORRIBLE mouse problem at my barn (barns are super attractive for mice). One day a feral cat showed up and the mice have all disappeared. Mind, now we have a feral cat problem (I’ve got to find a TNR program), but I’ll take too many cats over too many mice.

    10. Our exterminator stops out monthly for maintenance/service, in a 1926 4-unit condo. New holes happen and they find new places to get in, so it’s worth it to have regular checks. I have a cat who cannot be bothered to hunt and do get an occasional mouse, we had one last fall right when it got cold, but none for several years prior. Dear BF gets crumbs everywhere so while my house is tidy, we are not exceptionally clean.

    11. Midwest, live near a nature area so mice are prevalent. After they chewed through lentils and pasta and gummy bear bags, we got plastic tubs and glass storage for the pantry to minimize availability of food.

      I agree with sealing all holes you can see with steel wool.
      Also, get the cheap snap traps – quicker death is less cruel for mice than glue traps where they perish slowly. Prime the trap with a dollop of peanut butter.
      Put the traps wherever you suspect they come in – look for garage doors, under sink cabinets where pipes go etc. You might be able to see mice droppings, usually by the floor boards/walls, as mice apparently prefer to run along walls instead of running across a room (I may have heard they use the hairs on their body as “sensors” also, to navigate???).

      We still catch 4-5 mice in the garage every year and I check the pantry floor and shelves often for droppings. So far, we have avoided a second kitchen infestation.

    12. Last winter BF got a humane trap, probably from Amazon, and it actually works! Put in a little bit of cheese and you’ll have a new mouse friend. He gave him some more cheese and water until the temperature outside got above freezing and then drove him a few miles away to a field and let him go.

  2. What are your best tips for good sleep? I feel like I do all the things, turn off screens as much as possible 30 minutes before (an hour if I can manage it) wind down at night, exercise in the morning, limit caffeine and alcohol. Lately I have been falling asleep ok but having very vivid dreams and waking up a lot. My alarm has been waking me from a deep sleep and I feel groggy whereas in the recent past, I would wake up slightly before my alarm. I’m so tired after 6 straight nights of this! I’m not going through a particularly stressful time so I’m not sure what to do. Any advice?

      1. +1. I did ALL the lifestyle things for years and only trazadone has gotten me to a point where I feel stable.

        1. Me too. I wonder why we don’t hear more about tradazone being used. It has been a godsend for me.

    3. I feel your pain. Lately, I feel like I have forgotten how to sleep and Rx sleep meds have not helped at all.

    4. Not sure this is an option but I’ve notice that a long hot bath before bed gives me the best sleep.

    5. Have you changed meds? My antidepressant does this to me (and my sister) if we take it at night. We have to take it in the morning.

      Acupuncture does wonders for deep sleep.

    6. Get a sleep study. All the good habits in the world did nothing. I needed a CPAP machine.

    7. A good sleep neurologist can be worth what it costs to see one. Though it’s not always necessary if our primary care/gynecologist can run some basic tests (deficiencies, blood sugar stability, hormones, and allergies can all be relevant).

    10. Does your bedroom have too much light? The moon is going to be full tomorrow and my bedroom has big windows so I wear a sleep mask and it helps.

    11. Thanks all. I haven’t changed medication and I did have a sleep study done a few years ago for different reasons and I don’t have sleep apnea. I’ve even tried sleeping in my guest room which has a comfy bed and gets much darker than the main bedroom and no change. I’ll try melatonin. I’ve used sleep meds before when I had trouble falling asleep (which is not my problem right now) but they didn’t help stay asleep.

      1. I am trying a magnesium supplement (doctor suggested this), which is supposed to assist in staying asleep (as opposed to melatonin, which I believe is for falling asleep). It works a bit. I also think I sleep better in a very cold space, and in the summer we don’t keep the bedroom cold enough. So maybe try temperature changes ?

        1. Correct, melatonin will put you to sleep but not keep you asleep. I have miserable experience with this. (Hello, waking up every two hours and taking more melatonin my first go in the hospital. 10/10 do not recommend). Hydroxyzine, Benadryl, and sleep aids keep you asleep longer but make me groggy as all heck. The only thing that ever really reset my sleep patterns was acupuncture, as mentioned above, but it takes time so it’s a bit of a pain.

        2. Melatonin can definitely help with both. I have insomnia and need help getting to sleep, but my mom needs help staying asleep and she’s had wonderful results with melatonin.

          That said, I wouldn’t take more if you wake up in the night. It should be taken once, shortly before bedtime. Taking it every few hours throughout the night will throw off your circadian rhythms.

  3. Only thing to do is call the exterminator and see if they can look for entry points. We had a hole under a sink filled and caulking with a wall gap that helped a lot. Expect it may get worse with the seasons.

  4. Hi hive,
    I am a long time reader and this is the first time I post here.
    I was an attorney who pivoted to non-profit in NY (UN sphere of influence) for two years, but I believe I finally know my calling: corporate social responsibility. Does any of you work in the field? I would love to hear about your work experience, how your respective companies are open to hiring lawyers to work in the CSR department, etc.
    I don’t want to try to make this a job board – you are all so well rounded and smart, it would just be great to hear from you.
    Thank you!

    1. I work in a function that supports “CSR.” A few thoughts, but I only have experience with my current company so take it with a grain of salt!

      1. The term “CSR” is rapidly falling out of style. CSR is seen as squishy, feel good work whereas these teams are trying to redefine themselves and reinforce the business value they can drive. Companies are renaming these teams and departments with titles like “Global Impact” etc. For more on this I would look at recent posts from Paul Polman (former CEO of Unilever).

      2. At least at my company, if you want to work as a lawyer you would sit in the Legal department. You would not work as a Lawyer within CSR. That being said, you could either work in Legal supporting CSR (for example, the Legal team is critical in supporting our company’s efforts around human rights due diligence) OR use your transferable skills to apply for a job in CSR. If you have UN-adjacent experience, that would likely be valued quite highly.

      Best of luck!

    2. I have two friends who did/do this work (as non-lawyers) and… one friend buys into it entirely and loves it while the other hates that what she’s doing is making a giant corporation feel great about how generous they are when in reality the money they are donating is pennies relative to their profits.

    3. I recently completed a certificate program in CSR from the University of Colorado, in the hopes of pivoting to that field in the future. I learned a lot in the program and found it really valuable even while I’m working in my current non-CSR job. The class was online, with expert speakers each week and lots of opportunities to interact with classmates. Feel free to post a burner email and I’d be happy to talk to you about it!

    4. Yeah–this is more ESG if you really want to be a lawyer, and many people think ESG is just feel-good greenwashing.

  5. Design help needed!

    I have 2 bedrooms that have windows in 2 walls, so somewhat near where a bed would be. I’d like to get curtains to block light better than the blinds we have now.

    Is there some design rule about curtains near beds? Like if along the side of a bed, person won’t like sleeping close to curtains unless they are X far away and if window is behind headboard, Y clearance is needed?

    Also, any Design for Dummmies podcasts? I can tell when something doesn’t work but that msg be after I’ve spent the $ and too much time Tetris-ing a problem, and want to avoid more of that.

    1. Most design rules of thumb like that are around clearance, there being enough walking space. Since curtains hang on the wall, likely not an issue. The biggest “rule” you’ll likely find is that the curtains should be long enough to be hung all the way at the ceiling. I’d look at the “Kinwoven Home – Live your style” channel where they did some older videos in the Sharrah’s studio apartment where they “faked” an extra window with a mirror to add symmetry. Rebecca (the other channel owner) also has a number of videos about curtains near beds (her new Tulsa home has an interesting layout where her bed is against a number of windows). My favorite podcast is “How to Decorate” by Ballard Designs, which hosts lots of interior designers discussing their approaches and tips. For your particular problem, I’d likely pick the retailer that most matches your style (CB2, Pottery Barn, Ballard, etc) that offers free design services and ask them your question. They’ll provide some good guidance and ideas.

        1. It’s really enjoyable. My favorite episodes are the ones with Bunny Williams, Vern Yip, and there’s one with a realtor, I think it was Haven something, who gave great house hunting/selling tips.

      2. I love love love their podcast. They are the only podcasters I feel I would be friends with in real life.

    2. As a general rule, your curtains should function (close). Additionally, most people find drapes hung “high and wide” look best. When theyre open, they should mostly take up wall space and cover the side of the windows. If you’re putting the bed in front of a window, you
      can play with the curtains to cheat a symmetrical look behind the bed, if that makes sense. Alternatively, you can do drapery along the entire wall which is old fashioned in an awesome way, but not to everyone’s taste.

      In the world of decorating, drapery is it’s own specialty and doing it “right” can be very expensive. That said, we can do cheap and cheerful and make it look great. The key is that the drapes need to hit the floor exactly or end a hair above and be a pretty material. Drapes with pinch (or other) pleats on pins with rings look prettiest. (All the diy ladies on my Instagram rave about some pinch pleats drapes from the river site but I have not tried them). They’re not technically “right” but I spent years with pottery barn factory linen rod pockets that were perfectly pretty for framing my bed. I like dark iron or matte black rods and white curtains for a dreamy bedroom look. Blackout curtains will of course help you sleep. If you want to stick with shades a Roman can also be beautiful, but I haven’t had much experience diy ing those.

      Good luck and I hope this helps!

    3. I have an odd corner window and my solution was to curtain the entire back wall to the ceiling and I slid the headboard right up against the wall, leaving 6″ or so so curtain pleats would fall naturally and not look smooshed. Old house, exterior wall, pleasant side benefit was this doubles as extra insulation!

    4. If you like playing Tetris, try creating a room plan on a floor plan app like FloorPlanner. You can move things around to your heart’s content.

      1. I somehow am not that evolved. 2D doesn’t render it in enough detail and I need to see it in 3D. Our architect plans called for things and spacing that looked totally reasonable on paper and yet just did not work IRL. And it was largely things not being spaced enough to work although things were scaled right on the drawing. I can’t explain it but I’m hesitant to trust renderings now.

  6. I’m working on setting up a routine and atomic habits at work to combat my disorganization and lack of focus. Has anyone done this and if so , what did you find worked for you?

    1. Workwise – I find that making a to-do list at the end of the day, particularly with those 2 to 3 things that must be done the next day, really helps me focus. It is a good end of the day, closing down the work ritual for me. I’m a big believer in to do lists to keep organized. I have one a home too and I even list the fun/soul-filling things I want to do so I remember to prioritize myself.

      1. In this same vein, I’ll do a big list for the week that I’ll work from and add to throughout the week, but then will occasionally pull out a smaller daily list if I need help focusing.

        I also use my email service task list to help organize long-term thoughts. So, for example, I had a yearly project that things to update would come up throughout the year. So I’d create a task with a due date late in the fall where I would brain dump any items that would come up so I could address them when we got around to updating for the year.

    2. I am curious about atomic habits. Atomic as in tiny or atomic as in setting off a disastrous explosion if you don’t adhere to them?

      2. Lol – I’m not very far into the book atomic habits but small almost automatic habits

  7. I have completely forgotten how to wear non-skinny pants for work. I have a pair of wide leg trousers that I love but my work tops are mostly oversized and flowy and drapey to go with a skinnier pant. What kind of top do you wear with a wide leg or boot cut trouser? And do you tuck it in? Half tuck?

    1. I think you have to do a full tuck (or try a different shirt, more like a simple tee). I can’t wear two big pieces or it’s overwhelming / comical.

    2. I’m wearing wide leg pants today with a flowy top and have it half-tucked. Otherwise I wear a fitted, tucked in top

    3. With boot cuts, I find that some of the flowy/oversized tops still work untucked or half tucked. I just have to play around and see how they look. For my wide leg trousers, I like to fully tuck in fitted tops and wear a cute belt.

    4. A other thing to try is to sort of gather and twist the bottom of the top and secure with a hair elastic, then tuck it under. I think the blogger Extra Petite has demonstrated this. It makes a sort of faux waist on flowy tops.

        1. Was it then or the 1980s when you could buy special plastic rings to thread your giant shirt through to twist it? I am so old I cannot remember the original incarnation of fashion trends.

          1. 80s FTW!

            I never used those rings, but I truly believed that the only size t-shirt to wear was a men’s 3XL, even though I was 5’4″ and 110 lbs.

          3. Speaking of 80s trends, I feel like someone could make a fortune in 2022 by bringing back Units or Mulitples.

  8. Might be a longshot, but anyone have Oklahoma City recs? I will be there with my 4 year old daughter in a few weeks while DH attends a conference at OU. We are planning to visit the botanical gardens and science museum because we have free admission through reciprocal memberships at home. Would love suggestions for other things to do and good places to eat.

    1. The National Memorial is quite moving. I just looked it up and there’s also a museum, which I did not go to so can’t say anything about, but I do recommend the outdoor part of the memorial.

    2. Feed the Malik on instagram did a trip there earlier and has an OKC highlight saved – definitely would be the first place for me to look if I were visiting.

      1. Thank you! Had not heard of her before but love finding new travel influencers so I appreciate the rec!

    3. My family lives in OKC. Bricktown is kind of cute to walk around. The Museum of Art has a large Chihuly collection if you’re into that. I personally enjoyed the Cowboy Hall of Fame, but I like horses so maybe I’m biased. The zoo is a popular local attraction if your daughter likes zoos. I’ve honestly never had outstanding food there, but Cattleman’s is a classic steakhouse near the stockyards (fun to see if you’re into cowboy stuff). There are some decent restaurants in Bricktown and I like Marble Slab Creamery for ice cream.

    4. There’s a brand-new First Americans museum that I hear is really worthwhile.
      The science museum gets raves.
      The 405 Magazine will give you lots of good restaurant recommendations.
      If you’re into river sports, check out Riversport—a section of river through the middle of the city has been converted for rowing and whitewater sports (lots of national/international and olympic-level events and training take place there)

      2. That was my favorite pandemic Twitter discovery. I had to go to Oklahoma City for work earlier this year and was so sad I couldn’t find time to squeeze in the Cowboy museum.

    6. A colleague of mine just went and said he had the best meal at Grey Sweater. My partner and I went last month and enjoyed walking around bricktown and taking a water taxi which helped us learn more about its development. The Myriad Botanical gardens are lovely. The art museum is really nice. We went to several really good breweries. I’m not a beer drinker but my favorite was Prairie–I’d love to go back there. We were able to get around easily on the light rail and didn’t use any ride services while we were there. I was surprised how much I liked it.

    7. Memorial, Cowboy museum, and Johnny’s for a giant hamburger and onion rings.

    8. OKC Local here! All of these are great recommendations, but if you want some unusual/unexpected OKC experiences, I’d start with some of our districts. My favorite is the Plaza, which is a funky arts district not far from downtown. Here are my recommendations:
      – The Mule (get the fried cheese curds) or Empire Slice House (best pizza in town & woman-owned/founded) for food & people watching
      -Go look at the Plaza wall murals (OKC was just voted #1 for murals/public art by USA Today) in the alleys around the Plaza
      -Check out DNA Galleries & the other shops & stores up and down 16th street.
      -Get Roxie’s Ice Cream (coconut is amazing) or Pie Junkie Pies (the drunken turtle is divine)

      Other highlights that haven’t been mentioned yet in other areas of the city:
      -Factory Obscura is an immersive art experience that’s getting a ton of attention in the art scene lately
      -Vanessa House Brewery, Prarie & Skydance (a Native American-owned brewery) are some of the best local beer in OKC
      -The best steak in town is either at The Ranch (on the north side of the city) or at Broadway10 Chophouse
      -We have a HUGE Asian District, with mostly Vietnamese restaurants and some traditional Chinese & Thai ones in there, too. I recommend Lido for a nicer experience or Pho Cuong for strictly Pho (it’s a hole-in-the-wall, so beware)
      -Myriad Gardens children’s garden is so fun but be aware that the crystal bridge gardens are closed for a huge renovation right now. The grounds around there are still worth a visit.
      -Scissortail Park in Downtown has an amazing playground with a cute restaurant at the north end that has burgers, frozen custard & some grown-up beverages
      -The Science Museum of Oklahoma, which you’ve mentioned, is next to the zoo so you could do the zoo in the morning/science museum in the afternoon when it’s hotter.

      I hope you enjoy your visit!

  9. Weird podcast recommendation request: I’m looking for podcasts that are well researched but are “fun” to listen to/ not dry about topics like disinformation, violent extremism/white supremacy, cults, conspiracy theories, and other similar topics.

    I’ve kind of enjoyed sounds like a cult but wish it was a little more research based. I’m not a true crime podcast person but I am looking for that kind of podcast: well researched and factual but made to be entertaining.

    Would also be interested in books and articles like this!

    1. Oh, the one on the Trojan Horse affair. And some of the CBC ones on disinformation and white nationalism

    2. Cannot recommend Geography Now! enough. YouTube channel about the countries of the world.

    3. This might not be your jam, but I’ve been listening to Not Just The Tudors by Susannah Lipscomb and it’s really really interesting! Not at all dry. Also have started Betwixt The Sheet s with Kate Lister and that’s also interesting—might be more your speed, there are a wide variety of topics addressed!

    4. You’re Wrong About might fill this hole for you. They definitely touch on interesting topics (they had a whole series on the OJ Simpson trial, they did an episode on Martha Stewart, etc.) and it has the same pop-y culture vibe as Sounds Like a Cult (which I also enjoy).

      1. +1 now that I actually understand the question, YWA would be perfect for this niche, OP. I love Sarah Marshall’s way with words.

    6. Flight 149 (conspiracy theory), British Scandal (several episodes feature conspiracies, hilariously presented by two British comedians), Death in the Ice Valley (conspiracy/true crime/espionage), The Shrink Next Door (story of abusive cult-like shrink)

      1. Oh – I missed that you were looking *for* those topics, not avoiding them. I still recommend Noble Blood as a smart, well-researched podcast which is still fun – and the host, Dana Schwartz, has appeared on You’re Wrong About a couple times, too.

      2. Came here to say Noble Blood! Also check out This Podcast Will Kill You.

        The rest of my recs are all true crime, sorry.

    8. I like Cautionary Tales. In general I’m really not a podcast person and a huge pet peeve of mine is when the hosts make themselves sound like the experts on every topic rather than just the ones who have gathered research on a topic (looking at you, Malcom Gladwell). But I do like Cautionary Tales.

    9. It’s a little old but “The Dream” podcast series on MLM’s was really well researched and interesting to listen to.
      Also “Under the Influence with Jo Piazza” about Social Media Influencers is also hard to stop listening to once you get started.

    10. Slow Burn by Slate. I listened to season 1 on Watergate, which was a bit before my time, and it was low-stakes because it was so long ago. The next season on Monica Lewinsky/Clinton was also good. Could not get into season 3 on Tupac/Biggie, but the current season (7, maybe?) on Roe v. Wade is pretty good. Can’t opine on the intervening seasons because I haven’t listened to them yet.

    11. Stuff you missed in history class. One of their voices drives me a little crazy, but it’s great and they cover a variety of topics and events. It’s usually pretty light and funny but they do cover some dark topics they usually warn about.

      1. +1 to Stuff You Missed in History Class. The History chicks is similar but longer episodes.

    12. Depending on how you feel about these modes of travel to start with . . .

      Blackbox Down
      Ship Hits the Fan

    13. Rabbit Hole was great – about exactly how technology/youtube radicalizes people and how to bring them back

    15. I am not sure how to find and subscribe to podcasts without a hassle. Do you just subscribe to one service and see what they have the same way we watch TV? I really only listen to pandora music and don’t pay right now. What is the easiest way for me to start finding what I like?

      1. I have an iPhone and use Apple Podcasts. There are other podcast apps for android or iPhone if you don’t like that one. You then typically subscribe to the individual podcasts so you’ll see the updated episodes when they come out. If you’ve never listened to podcasts before, most of the apps will have charts of the most downloaded podcasts in a subject area or you can search for a particular topic (or try some of the above— they’re wonderful!) I like podcasts because you can usually listen to a few minutes or 1-2 episodes and get a good idea of whether you’ll like it.

      2. I use the google podcasts app since I’m on Android. It’s very easy to find podcasts and add to your feed there without all the fuss that Spotify does

      3. I like Stitcher for finding new things to listen to. Often podcasts will be part of a network, so if you like one, you can check out other shows on the same network.

    17. Ok hear me out— Jamie Loftus fits this to a tee. She researches her topics and doesn’t have any of the small talk. They’re also not true crime. The reason I say “hear me out” is because I loved the one called “The Ack Cast” which is about Cathy comics. Very random but it was good. She also has one about Lolita that’s excellent. I haven’t listened to her newest, Ghost Church, but I definitely will!

    18. Very different in scope, but Maintanence Phase is super well researched and fun to listen to!

    20. This is not a crime, but it is kind of a mystery: Dead Eyes: “Actor/comedian Connor Ratliff (The Chris Gethard Show, UCB, The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel) embarks upon a quest to solve a very stupid mystery that has haunted him for two decades: why Tom Hanks fired him from a small role in the 2001 HBO mini-series, Band Of Brothers.”

      It’s absolutely my very very very favorite podcast ever.

    22. Winds of Change podcast. About the Scorpions song with the same title and whether the CIA actually wrote it to help stoke revolutions in Eastern Europe. You don’t have to know anything about the Scorpions to enjoy it.

    24. You all came through. Thanks so much – from how you describe them they all sound great! Looking forward to checking them out.

    26. Armchaired and Dangerous is entertaining and seems well researched to me. Available only in Spotify in the Armchair Expert feed.

    27. Sounds like Behind the B-stards (spelled correctly, not with a -) would be a perfect fit. Their series on police unions was absolutely shocking to me, but they regularly do really well researched episodes on white nationalists.

    28. The humor is definitely NSFW, but I love the last podcast on the left. They cover a range of topics (true crime, cults and UFOs but they also do amazing history series—right now is they’re doing the Salem witch trials).

    29. In Our Time (created by BBC) – there are hundreds of episodes about history, religion, science and philosophy

      History of Rome and Revolutions by Mike Duncan if you are interested in history. His one about the Haitian Revolution is particularly good.

      The British History Podcast – which is oddly entertaining for an extremely in depth examination of British History (although I caution that the creator sometimes lets his imagination take him places the facts do not support but he is pretty good about identifying speculation and there are clearly historical characters he likes and those he does not – even if rationally there is not much to chose between them.)

      If you want more current events, The Uncertain Hour and Make Me Smart

    30. “Checks and Balance” from The Economist is well-produced and just had a three-part series on critical race theory.

  10. I seem to struggle with balance: I’m either really structured and squared away and make time for most things (including fun!) but feel boring and too rigid or I’m running from thing to thing which is chaotic, bad for my anxiety, and leads to me to not getting things done that I want to/need to.

    I think I’m better off when I’m very structured, but then I feel rigid and like I’m acting too old and when I look back on my 20s I’ll have wish I had more fun. I’m sure there’s a way to feel spontaneous but also like I’m working towards my goals and being productive.

    1. How far out do you schedule “fun” things? I think this may depend on yourself. For some people scheduling a week out is spontaneous (my Husband) while for others scheduling a week out is serious planning ahead (me). I feel like it’s the activity not the scheduling that makes something fun. What kind of spontaneous and fun things do you feel like you are missing out on? Can you keep one night a week or one day a weekend open?

      1. That’s a great point. 3 of my weeknights are already spoken for: I watch the bachlorette with a few friends on Mondays, I have grad school classes on Tuesdays and I have a club sport game on Thursdays. Technically Mondays are optional (but often is the only time I see these friends so I prefer to go), but the other 2 aren’t. So if I want to grab a drink with a friend or something, I pretty much have Wednesdays. I have a few different groups of friends so even if I only see each group once a month, there go my Wednesdays.

        Weekends are so all over the place – sometimes I hunker down to do school work/errands/rest, normal weekends would include a mix of downtime, housework/homework and time going out with friends, but also I like to get out of the city for the day (hiking, visiting family in the burbs) or for the weekend (visiting friends, going to the beach). I feel like I do one or two extra fun things and poof! There goes all the time

        I’m in an area where most people (myself to an extent but my friends even more so)

        1. Also adding that because I have these commitments in the afternoon/evenings, I wake up pretty early to work out, do stuff around the house, do homework, etc to free up my evenings for fun/commitments/to just veg on the couch. So, winding down by 9:30 for a 10pm bedtime to wake up at 6 to run makes me feel very rigid.

        2. So you’re actually devoting two week nights a week to fun already and one to work. No wonder you’re stifled! I’d drop the sport or the bachelorette

    2. You’re not rigid – the things you have planned are quite fun and interesting. I have the same mindset as you in a lot of ways and having scheduled fun probably actually takes a load off. But if its making you tired or feel overburdened can any of these be every other week instead?

    3. If you are working and going to grad school, you have to be structured to get things done. If it’s really bothering you, perhaps maybe carve out a weekend afternoon every now and then to be unstructured? Personally, I love to have scheduled fun things — gives me something to look forward to when things feel like drudgery at my job.

    4. Honestly, to do school and work at the same time in your 20s and not become a hermit, you have to be pretty rigid. Luckily it’s a period that passes (and oh, how flexible you feel after!)

  11. People who have very large primary bedrooms, talk to me about how you use the space. We have what seems to me like a really, really big primary bedroom (also with a huge bathroom and two walk-in closets – we are very fortunate). I don’t have the measurements but ballparking, conservatively, it’s 18×25, pretty much a rectangle. Right now we have (or will soon have) a canopy bed, two large bedside tables, and a large dresser (all matching – it’s the Menlo distressed wood collection from PB). I also currently have in there an inobtrusive standing mirror and a small writing desk (or vanity). That leaves a ton of floor space. I’m torn between doing some kind of bench at the end of the bed, or a chaise longue near a window, or both? Has anyone done a settee (rather than a bench) at the end of a king-size bed? Thoughts on furniture pieces that would make the room feel more finished but also be functional and pretty? TIA!

    1. I’d do the chaise and the bench. I find a good padded bench comes in handy for gardening.

    2. Following with interest! Our setup sounds like yours – huge, two walk-in closets and a spacious bathroom. We also have a fireplace and my dream is to make a cute little sitting area around it. Could you do something like that? Maybe with one of those free-standing fireplace things?

      Also, the previous owner left us a couple ficus trees and we have one standing in the corner of the bedroom just to make it feel less cavernous. I hate it, but it works for now. Maybe that’s up your alley?

      1. We definitely need some pretty potted plants in there, thanks for reminding me! I hate investing in the huge potted trees because they’re so $$ and half the time I kill them, but fiddle leafs are fairly easy. That will take care of a couple empty corners at least!

    3. we have a large primary suite and we separated it into the bed area (bed, 2 nightstands, dressers) and did a separate seating area with a small 2 person sofa (medley Kayvan in a gray velvet) with a storage ottoman and a mounted tv on the wall. I know the TV is personal taste but for us it provides an opportunity to hide from everyone else in the house once in awhile :). It was huge and empty when we didn’t separate out a seating area but I love how the space is used now. we also have a closet and bathroom so it feels very well sectioned out and also each space has a purpose

    4. Our master isn’t quite that large but definitely on the bigger side. I definitely think a bench, settee, or two ottomans at the end of the bed is handy. We use two campaign benches/x benches but had a lounge before that which we moved into our main room – we find the two benches are handy as we can move them around as needed. We had designated ‘zones’ – one corner is a ‘getting ready’ area with a full sized mirror, and my vanity table, and the other is a ‘sitting area’ with an arm chair and ottoman/side table/plant.
      During covid the sitting area became the getting ready area as I needed the table space to work from home and I got a bigger desk.
      If you work out a lot I know a lot of friends that have a yoga or peloton corner in their bedrooms!

    5. I’d just get a loveseat / small couch. I think a bench will be too short at the end of a canopy bed (but would be OK at the end of a platform bed). Or two big chairs.

    7. Queen bed, 2 night stands, vanity, ginormous antique armoire, cheval mirror and most importantly a large area rug to anchor everything, this prevents the floating furniture look.

    8. Make up table is a good option plus I like a chaise lounge for reading vs reading in bed.

    9. We are avid readers and like having a bookcase and comfy reading chairs in our bedroom.

  12. My teen wants to try laser hair removal. It was life-changing for me, so I am not opposed. It is expensive though and I don’t want to buy a package only to have it be too painful. Has anyone found places willing to do a per-session test or have packages be assignable to family members or be suspended to try again later? I realize that the record-keeping is daunting but the high up-front cost is also. My city just seems to do packages (with touch-up after billed per visit). I got mine done before moving here so I’m not an established client anywhere where they may give me a favor.

    1. Anecdotally: my friends who did it in college had to redo it in adulthood but my friends who are doing it now (late 20s) are much more successful. Doing it too young, when hormones are still in flux, means it is unlikely to last.

    3. I agree it may make sense to wait, but if you can swing it financially AND if this is something that is truly bothering her, subjecting her to bullying, or giving her body image issues, etc., then I’d consider paying for it now if it’s a smallish area like face or underarms or belly (not really sure what all the different eligible areas are…). I do not think it would be worth the larger expense and pain of doing full leg, though.

    4. I think you also get more hairs as your hormones start to misfire in the perimenopause stage. Being a woman is no joke. Especially if you are part Wookie like I am :( At least the non-gray hairs are in amazing contrast to my so-white-it’s-pink skin, which helps.

    6. The place I go to did a free consultation and they lasered a small area of my arm to make sure that I could tolerate the discomfort. Personally, it was uncomfortable but not painful but the nurse said some people decide not to proceed after the free consultation.

  13. I’ve been casually dating a guy for about 3 weeks now and i can’t tell how I feel about him. He told me on our second date that he had deleted Hinge due to meeting me, which completely freaked me out and will say things like “I’m doing x? Oh yeah, I REALLY like you!” On our first date, he gave me all the details on all of his family situations (older parents, divorced with a couple kids, etc) and is a constant sharer of alllllll the details of everything. I keep things much more buttoned up and am much more reserved.

    He’s a nice guy, and I do enjoy spending time with him, but there’s also something that is off that I can’t quite put into words but makes me really anxious. I should break things off, right?

    1. Yes. You know how you feel about him. You think he’s weird and annoying and making you uncomfortable.

    2. Only deleting Hinge seems weird to me. The “i’m going X? I must really like you” is pretty clearly a joke, and I think being upfront about his family situation on a first date is normal and good? To people actually not disclose the fact that they’re divorced with kids on a first date? But if you’re feeling freaked out, you’re probably just not that into him and that’s ok.

      1. “It’s a joke” is a good excuse, but clearly if he’s saying it over and over again it’s moved into weird territory.

      1. Seriously. He told you his marital.status on the first date. Girl, you know what you need to do here. Trust that incredibly accurate gut and get out before this creep tells you things like where he grew up, how many siblings he has, and what his favorite ice cream flavor is on, like, date 5.

        1. The sarcasm is uncalled for, but it is a lot to take in when someone tells you all about why they got divorced, their parents’ health issues, the reasons their children to to therapy, and other things all within the first hour of knowing them.

          Thanks for the gut check everyone…I think the love bombing aspect is what felt off. This is what I needed to convince me to break things off!

    4. You’re not into him and that’s okay. I don’t think he’s doing anything too objectionable but if it feels too fast or contrary to how you’d prefer to operate, break it off.

      1. +1. Also, some guys are more reserved than this one is, and you may find that’s a better fit for you.

    5. This is bad anxiety (vs the good butterflies in the stomach anxiety). Do not go out with him again. Who cares if he is a nice guy, he is making you feel bad and that’s all you need to know.

    6. I think you are the one being weird but definitely break it off because you are not the right fit for this guy.

    7. Yes, of course, 100%, you should break things off with somebody who makes you really anxious!

    8. If your gut is telling you something is off then trust it. You may never be able to put your finger on exactly what it is, and that’s ok. Don’t let anyone (including yourself!) convince you to continue to see a guy if you’re not feeling it.

      Fwiw I’m wary of love bombing behavior, and it sounds like he’s stepping close to that line.

    9. Break things off; you’re looking for a partner, not running a dating charity. (Sorry if that’s harsh… a lot of people seemed to want me to run a dating charity.)

      Also throwing this out there: pushing for commitment very quickly is a sign of an abuser. Now, this guy may be a morally fine person, just rather weird and not for you. Or it can be a massive, massive red flag.

    10. Don’t force yourself to date someone. You’re not into him, so stop seeing him. He doesn’t have to do anything “wrong” first.

    11. This sounds like love bombing to me. Maybe read a few articles on it and see if it matches what you are experiencing?

    12. I’m probably more morose about this because I’m in the thick of it, but I am going through a breakup right now where I had some doubts and anxieties about the guy early on, but pushed past them because he was a great guy and I thought the anxieties would subside with time, as I am naturally pretty avoidant. We dated for a year and broke up about a month ago because those anxieties never went away. It was and continues to be so so so brutal because he really thought I was “It”. I wish I had listened to my gut earlier in the relationship because all I did was hurt him.

    13. Echoing all the other women: don’t force yourself to like him. I dated a guy like this. Overshared a lot of details about his family and personal life very early on, asked invasive questions (because apparently I should also overshare if he does?), wanted me to call him by his childhood nickname that only family calls him by, very eager and needy, had poor sense of boundaries etc. In the end I had to call it off, because he had other red flags in addition to these. But I wish I had called it off sooner because feeling uncomfortable should’ve been enough reason to.

  14. I would appreciate advice about negotiating a job offer. I am (possibly!) expecting a job offer in the near future. I understand that the top of the range is $X but I would like to ask for $X plus 5k. If/when the offer comes, I would plan to respond “thank you, I’m really pleased to receive the offer. I would like some time to think it over and will be back in touch shortly.” Would then get back to them the next business day. I plan to accept the job if offered but my question is WHEN to counter if the offer comes in lower than I would like. Should I do it right in the phone call when the offer is made? Or should I do it when I come back the next business day? Last time I was on the job offer was a long time ago and I just accepted without negotiating. Thank you for any guidance you can offer!

    1. No, you say thank you for the offer and let them know you will get back to them shortly. Then you make the ask.

      1. +1. This is almost exactly what I did on my last job offer and I was successful.

      2. +1. The offer phone call is for everyone to feel good. Then you get down to business by email. Though a smart recruiter will try to negotiate with you by phone because they are so darn good at negotiating. Don’t do it.

    2. I’d like to counter as someone who has hired people and dealt with a range of negotiating strategies. If someone wants to counter salary, I prefer they do it up front so we don’t waste time. I had one candidate that came back to counter after the paperwork went through and that pissed me off. With the last two hires I made I was up front that I was offering X and this was as high as I could go and I laid out the reasons. In both cases the candidates the candidates came back to me and asked me for other accommodations (one time housing allowance, stipend for completing an important milestone, etc). While I couldn’t wiggle on the salary I can certainly find one-time money to sweeten the deal. Good luck to you!

    1. I really can’t stand anything tiered – I think things like the Nap Dress look great on other folks. On me, I’m immediately back in middle school playing a farm girl in a very bad musical.

  17. How do Everlane shoes fit? I want to get a Day Heel (or day ballet) and also the loafers. My feet are a bit triangular (need room in toe area, narrow heels). High arch if that matters.

      1. Agreed – my feet have a hard time with the width, but I only have their loafers. A softer shoe may be ok.

    2. Like shockingly so small and so narrow. I think of my feet as pretty normal width but there was just no world where they were going to fit.

    3. I have the most common, most normal-sized foot ever, and Everlane flats were too narrow in the toe box. I wore them anyway, but they were never comfortable, and the outline of my big toe always showed through the top of the toe box. It was a ballet flat; not sure if it was the day ballet.

  18. Hi Curious:

    I responded to you late in the afternoon yesterday in the PM thread, but my comment got stuck in mod. In any case, how are you feeling today?

    1. So much better. Still not totally myself but I can finally think. I am grateful I cancelled things, though, even though it used up my sick time. I needed to be able to rest and not worry about it. Thank you :):). How are you feeling? Still looking up?

      1. Yes, definitely coming out of it. My son is in the horrible cough stage right now though, so it was still a rough night at my house.

  19. I just broke up with my boyfriend so I may just be glum and ranting.
    I’m in my late 20s and live in a major city where I went to college. I had a small but strong friend group in college, but only about half lives here now. I have a lot of individual friends, or friends from different places, but not a clear friend group. It makes me feel like I’m doing something wrong? Like if I inivte people to things they always come but figuring out labor day plans is rough. And I do get invited to things but not always to bigger things like trips.

    I am definitely a person who needs a lot of social interaction. I’m going into the office a few days a week, which def helps, and honestly sometimes I feel like I have weeknight plans (just drinks after work) but not weekend plans, especially if people are planning to be with their SOs or double-date type stuff then. I don’t know if this is just a post-COVID thing, or a changing life stages thing, or what. I have a lot of acquaintances for sure, and I feel like I do have good friends, I have people I text on a very regular basis, but its just hard to keep on having to make plans and initiate things.

    When I was dating my ex that probably helped because I had “default plans” too, but I still miss basically group interaction. I know I’m not in college or something where that happens naturally. I also used to be better (aka perfectly fine) at doing things by myself pre-pandemic.

    Idk what my question is. Is this normal at this age? Is there anything I can do to help it? I do introduce my friends from different places to each other all the time, which does help.

    1. It is very normal and just a “this is how things are generally at this age” kind of thing. You’re not in college anymore, having regular big hangs with a set group of people is very nice but not all that common. Life is not Friends. Most people have individual friends that they keep relationships with who are fine with your other friends if they hang out together or loosely friends. I think you should concentrate on maintaining relationships with individual friends and trying to turn the acquaintances you like into better friends.

    2. You aren’t doing anything wrong—I think it’s normal around this age to feel this way! I am a similar age to you and have experienced the same. Friends are moving away/to new cities or getting involved in more serious relationships that take up their time on the weekend. I also don’t feel like I have a really defined friend group where I live as my friends are now scattered geographically/in their lives and I have moved too. I don’t have any advice as I am figuring how to navigate this too, but wanted to comment that I see you and identify with your experience at this stage in life.

    3. It’s a stage of life thing. If it helps, I’ve found that big friends groups that remain together into their late 20s and 30s often develop kind of a toxic dynamic. The group insulates bad behavior from some people (usually men), but jettisons other people, usually women, for relatively minor offenses (usually involving one of the men). In one of the worst groups I saw – the guy everyone has liked since they were 5 beats his GF but that’s ok because we don’t like her that much, but the wives who want their husbands to change a dirty diaper are harpies and unfun and shouldn’t be invited out anymore even though they’ve also been friends since birth. I’ve been on the outskirts of maybe a dozen friend groups and while nothing terrible has happened to me personally, observing the dynamic among other people has really turned me off wanting to be a core member of a big group.

    4. This is super normal for your age. If you want to have more of a cohesive friend group, I think you need to find it through a new set of people who connect through a shared activity like CrossFit, the dog park, or volunteering.

    5. It’s very normal after college that friendships start to taper off because people move or get married. My friend group is now scattered in several states across the country.

      It sounds like you’re already getting invited to things, just not trips. If it’s something you particularly want to do, then you can initiate the planning and invite others along rather than wait to be invited. Though be advised that traveling with someone for a week is way different than hanging out for an afternoon. It’s like dating someone, and then finally moving in together to find all their quirks.

    6. Absolutely normal! If you want a default plan, you can sometimes be the planner. I had a rotating dinner for a while in my 20s where each friend would host at their place and it was a great way to regularly see people while not overburdening anyone. You could also pick the first weekend of the month, or whatever, as an open invitation to X number of people you might be separately friends with to go do a group activity. Hiking, board games, breweries, etc, are all good group activities for people who don’t necessarily know each other extremely well because it gives everyone something easy to talk about.

    7. This is normal and while I think you have to accept that despite your best efforts things might change. HOWEVER, I don’t think you have to accept that this is adulthood and if you can make a change – more power to you!

      I’m much like you – late 20s major city, strong group of college friends who are spread out, and in my current city a few small groups and mostly one off friends. I desperately want a friend group too and I’m deeply jealous of those who have them.

      So, I’ve become the friend who organizes things. Then I invite everyone, and hopefully people will click and Ashley and Brittney will hit it off and now the 3 of us can hang out together. Even if Ashley and Brittney don’t become friends friends with Cara and Danielle, they’ll likely become friendly acquaintances so if I want to throw out an invite to a party or to grab a drink or join a kickball team I can invite them all and it might not be a friend group but can become a group of people who know each other well enough to do things with.

  20. To the person hearing weird noises in the walls – it’s probably squirrels. I lived in a giant top-floor dorm room sophomore year and the roof was full of them. When they chitter it sounds a little like Donald Duck when he’s particularly agitated.
    I unfortunately had the top bunk and they are definitely morning animals. I think they were amused by the humane traps and just ate the peanut butter out of them.

    1. That was me. This seems to be the consensus. The weird thing to me is that I think they just come down past an attic and top floor to make noises / claw on the first floor. Could they get in from the crawl space? Or more likely from the top of the house?

      It has been quiet today. IDK if it got out or just died and soon the stench will hit us.

      1. Could be either point of entry or both. When I had an unwelcome squirrel tenant, I believe it was getting in at a hole near the roof. He or she liked to travel all over in between the walls, though. It was so frustrating and so annoying and I was ready to commit squirrel genocide.

  21. Hey Hive – Hoping for a bit of guidance from the legal crew here. This story will probably out me to those who know me IRL but oh well.

    My mom fell at her workplace in June. There was some construction debris in the parking lot and she tripped over it. She went to the ER and got 16 stitches in her knee. It was a very gruesome ordeal. The wound ended up getting infected, she got hives all over her body as a reaction to the medication, and then she found out she has nerve damage. She has been going to physical therapy and occupational therapy. She filled out workman’s comp paperwork and has not been back to work since the accident. Her employer sent her a letter recently saying she was being let go because she hasn’t come back (but she works in healthcare and can’t physically do the job with her current injuries).

    She contact a lawyer who did a 1 hour consultation with her and collected paperwork. This was about a month ago. This morning she received an email from him saying “sorry, I don’t really specialize in workman’s comp.” I have had suspicions about this lawyer based on some discussions I’ve had with my mom (I’ve though to myself “who is this guy? Is he really qualified?”). My dad says who cares as long as the employer pays for the medical bills. My mom is very upset.

    I say she needs to contact a different lawyer (one I will find for her). I think she deserves more than just having the medical bills paid. My mom says she’s exhausted and isn’t sure she can go through the process with another lawyer. I think it’s worth it though. Thoughts from the hive?

      1. If it isn’t Ray Owens, he will know who you should contact. He is a lovely person and a great lawyer. And a banjo player. In Charlotte.

      2. This guy was opposing counsel in one of my cases and seemed pretty good: https://seiferflatowlaw.com/mathew-flatow-partner-at-seiferflatow/
        The case was personal injury related to construction but I believe he told me he does a fair bit of worker’s comp, so he might be able to handle all aspects. He’s not one of those super aggressive plaintiff’s attorneys if that’s what you’re going for, but the NC bar in general isn’t super aggressive (and as a defense attorney, I’m of the opinion super aggressive is not always best, especially if your goal is to settle a case, not try it).

    2. She probably is exhausted, but from my experience with chemo exhaustion, I’d say no to things and then if someone else shepherded me through them I could actually do them. And I was grateful for it. So I think your plan (you find new lawyer, you help with process) sounds good.

    3. Yes, your mom should find another lawyer. Not only with respect to the worker’s comp/employment issue, but because there is likely some other professional – general contractor, or someone performing construction administration, etc. – who is responsible for the debris in the parking lot and she can make a claim against them/their insurers.

    5. Find a Plaintiff’s workers comp attorney and go with your mom to help her. The attorney should do WC full time. You can ask about how potential third party liability works in your state as well

      1. I am not in her state, but I’m willing to contact the attorney and do all the legwork. I want her to get more than just the workman’s comp stuff sorted out though…I think she deserves compensation from lost wages, being let go, and the trauma of it all. Would that be the same lawyer? Is there a type of lawyer who would specialize in all of that? I’m in finance so I’m out of my element here

        1. That will likely be a different lawyer. Most of the time, your only recourse against your own employer is worker’s comp — though I’m not sure how that will play out with the termination issue. However, the other stuff can likely be brought as a third party liability claim against other parties (not the employer) like the companies responsible for the work and the debris. Most any reputable plaintiff’s firm that handles bodily injury cases and is familiar with working with insurance companies will be able to do this.

        2. The same lawyer should be able to address that, as the WC scheme already addresses those issues. The lawyer should also evaluate if there is another party to go after but this won’t be their first rodeo on something like this.

    6. I think she needs a second opinion. The claim against her employer should be through worker’s comp but if the construction debris is from a third party, that might be a separate case.

  22. Shout-out to BR Factory as a place for affordable workwear. I only recently started checking it out, and love the graphic/geometric prints options on a lot of the tops and non-ruffled items. The Malibu tee has sleeves that are slightly longer than usual, which are perfect for casual work outfits.

  23. I need a really fabulous dress. I am making welcoming remarks at a legal industry conference. This is happening at an evening reception. I cold wear a full suit, but I would rather wear a dress. I’m a size 16/18 and pretty hourglass. Budget up to $250.00.

    1. Darn straight. I cannot fathom the thought process that makes it ok to laugh at dead elementary school children and their teachers. I also hope Alex Jones gets taken for every last penny he has by the Sandy Hook parents for encouraging this type of attitude.

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