This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
Have you been on a trip lately and adored the subtle, sophisticated scent of the hotel where you stayed? I was surprised that you can find a bunch of websites and companies selling room sprays, diffusers, wax melts, candles, and more, either with the exact scent or with something inspired by it.
The big Fancy Hotel names are in there — the Ritz, the Plaza, a bunch of Vegas hotels. There are even companies that sell fragrances inspired by Disney and Universal Studios resorts. (I'll admit it, the room spray inspired by Royal Pacific & Sapphire Falls resorts at Universal Orlando is in my Amazon cart at the moment.)
(And even if you can't find a branded or “inspired” scent for the particular hotel, odds are really good you can find a Reddit discussion where people suggest similar scents! Etsy is another treasure trove of “inspired-by” scents.)
I've pictured the W Hotels' Signature Room Fragrance, available through the W Hotels Store on Amazon or directly through the W Hotels Store. The 1 oz is under $20, or you can get 4 oz for under $60.
Readers, what are your thoughts about scents in the home? Do you have any favorites?
(As we've noted in the past, scents can be really tricky in the office because even subtle fragrances can annoy coworkers and even trigger migraines… so know your office really well before bringing a room spray into your office!)
Sales of note for 9.30.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Fall Cyber Monday sale, 40% off sitewide and $5 shipping
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
Anonymous
I’m going gray, which, fine. I have some cute whiteish streaks at the front, basically framing my face when I put it behind my ears. Is there a way to treat it or embellish it so it looks more intentional? The rest of my hair is medium-dark brown. I occasionally use purple shampoo but don’t notice a big difference.
Anon
One thought is to add some other streaks throughout. A coworker did that and it looks good. My hair is similar to yours and I have just accepted the streaks that nature is giving me, but I have been lucky with how they have come in.
anon
+1
I have wondered about doing this too.
I even asked my hairstylist about it, and he was very distressed at the thought and said no, no, no.
So ??
Anon
I’d leave it alone in terms of adding color. I’ve enjoyed watching my gray hair coming in once I gave up on highlights around the time of lockdown.
I do find the gray can have a different texture. A little hair serum or oil can really help. Or curl cream if you wear your hair curly, but curl cream may be too much for straight hair.
Leatty
Favorite shoes with arch support for commuting? My metatarsalgia is acting up, so I need to give up on wearing my regular work shoes while commuting. I’m often on the dressier end (e.g., blazer) so want something that won’t look totally ridiculous.
Cat
Just wear street sneakers with an insole – everyone understands they aren’t your real shoes so you might as well get a cute pair that you also enjoy on weekends.
Anon
Just wear sneakers, who cares. Your health is more important than what random people think.
Anon
Just wear whatever’s comfortable. Commuting shoes aren’t about being fashionable. I always keep my work shoes at the office. It also my work shoes last longer and stay nicer.
DC
I’m in DC and commute on the metro. I always wear my regular (i.e. running) sneakers to commute. I carry my office shoes with me in my purse/bag. Other women in the office leave all of their office shoes in the office. I see plenty of men and women wearing obvious commuting sneakers on the metro.
Anon
Fit flop sneakers. I like the ones with the stretchy tops. The rally style has that right now. I also have some vitamin ff style with a stretchy top. They’re made for a woman’s anatomy.
Anonymous
Abeo shoes; I prefer the sneakers but they have other styles
anonn
some of these people have a case of the Mondays! Vionic or Cariuma have good arch support. I also got some nike Air max recently that are wonderful.
NY CPA
I have Vionic winnie sneakers in both black and white. I like the look of them a lot. Vionic have some built-in arch support, but I need more, so I replaced the insoles with the kind I wear in my running sneakers (PowerStep).
Anon
Inspired by the posts a few weeks ago, I got a Dexa scan (thank you to the person who recommended longevity dexafit!). Well.. I have osteopenia/osteoporosis in some parts of my body at age 35. What should I do to help slow it down, other than the obvious (weights, calcium)? This likely comes from female athlete triad in HS/college, but nothing I can do to go back in time.
Anon
Get a calcium test before you start taking any supplement. My Dx of osteoporosis come in early 40s after broken bone. I was referred to an endocrinologist due to my age and the severity of the Dx. They ran a lot of tests (one of which showed that I actually had a very high calcium level so a calcium supplement could have caused some damage). I have now been on bone building meds for a few years and an exercise plan put together by a PT for weight baring exercise and lifting weights.
Anonymous
I missed the convo – looking at the website it looks like bloodwork test? How do I find someone local to me to do it? How does bloodwork tell you what parts of your body have osteoporosis?
Anon
It was a dexa scan
Anon
A dexa scan is a x ray type scan that measures certain bones in your body and compares them to statistical ranges for your age (and weight, I think). For those into statistics, it’s a t score.
I’m not OP. I had my own dexa scan in response to a usual broken bone. My results were average, which I’m happy with.
Anon
talk to a doctor!
Anon
What doctor should I go to? Endo? PCP?
Anon
Bone endocrinologists exist, but PCP is the place to start.
edj3
Get a referral to an endocrinologist. That’s who’s treating my osteoporosis which was dx’d after I fractured my pelvis from running.
Amy Groves
Can anyone recommend a calcium pill that isn’t the size of a horse pill? The smaller, the better.
edj3
Amy Groves, my endo has me take a generic Tums. It’s got calcium and it dissolves. I use a peppermint flavored one and call it my after dinner mint.
Sunshine
Start weight training if you don’t do it already. Maybe start with a prescription for PT if you feel overwhelmed by getting started.
My grandmother had osteopenia and started weight training when she was 80, and her bone mass improved. If it can improve at 80, it surely can improve at 35!
I’d also be checked for whether you’re absorbing nutrients properly. Is there any chance you have something like celiac? If you’re not absorbing your nutrition, that needs to be addressed first. There are mineral metabolism doctors who specialize in this.
I’d start with my PCP. That doc is Step 1. YourPCP should order blood tests and perhaps another bone scan. Your PCP should not be your last stop.
Good for you for taking charge of your body. This issue will get worse if it isn’t addressed. Remember to be your own advocate if you aren’t taken seriously because of your age.
Anonymous
Gut check. Am I wrong to be annoyed at family members for scheduling things between 9-5 on weekdays? This one was justified as “during a school holiday” but I’m still expected to work. It’s hard because these family members work for a family business that is open retail hours but also their schedules are completely within their control. It’s spring break round two but my little one still has daycare and I’m pretty tied to a computer screen because I don’t have unlimited pto.
Anon
There’s not enough context here (what have they scheduled? a family gathering or a doctor’s appt?), but generally I lean toward people not being considerate enough of working moms.
Cat
if they get annoyed at you for not participating, or never organize things on weekends, then yes, otherwise I’d just say “sorry can’t make it, that’s a workday for me” and move on for whatever particular activity this is.
Anon
yea need more context. what kind of “things”? do you work from home or in an office? is this a last minute thing or something with a month’s notice?
Anon
I think it really depends on what they’ve scheduled? If they’re expecting you to be there, yes it’s generally rude not to take your schedule into account, but they’re allowed to get together at times you can’t make it.
Anon
Have you made it clear this time doesn’t work for you? I WFH and have quite a bit of flexiblity during the work day (I just got back from volunteering at my kid’s school for three hours) and I’d say the majority of remote workers I know are in the same boat. I even know some in-office people who have flexibility to step out for a bit without using PTO. So they may not realize it doesn’t work.
Anon
Not wrong, they should know that people need to work during work hours! Just because it’s a school holiday doesn’t mean it’s a holiday for everyone.
Anon
I’m used to my kids’ schools doing this, but I would have the same response to a family member – sorry, I’m working. If you really want me to be there, it needs to be scheduled outside of working hours.
Anonymous
Why waste time being annoyed when “sorry I can’t make it I have work” exists.
Op
It’s my nieces birthday so of course I’ll have to make it work or at least arrange for my kids to be there. Somehow the “this is ok because it’s a school holiday” annoyed me more than anything. Do you think I have ten weeks of vacation?
anon
if your kids aren’t in school and you are planning on working can’t whoever is watching your kids take them to the party? i can’t imagine taking a day off from work for anyone’s birthday party.
Anon
They might be at camp. In my area there are camps for all the days school is out.
Anon
It is pretty normal for parents to take off on school holidays. I think you’re being a bit over the top about this. If you can’t go, ask if someone in the family can pick up your kids?
Anon
This.
Anonymous
Not if they already have alternative childcare secured and don’t have unlimited pto? What on earth
Anon
I’m very close with my family, and have made it to almost every bday party for my 5 nieces and nephews over the past 15 years, with the exception of the weekday party for my nephew one year and there was zero expectation that I be there. Is it disappointing to miss? Yes, but I’m the only one who even remembers at this point that I wasn’t there. These things become less bothersome with some distance/time. Hopefully the expectation here is that you can’t make it but your kids can or if they hoped you could make it bc of school vacation, hopefully they’ll understand that you can’t make it. I agree with those who say to ask for another family member to bring your kids, express your regrets, and go on with your life.
Anon
Eh I know a lot parents without unlimited PTO who tend to take off school holidays, and a lot of people who could spend a couple hours at a kid party without using PTO. I don’t think it’s a big deal if she can’t go, but I think she’s taking it a little personally.
Senior Attorney
Also, you really don’t have to make it work. I mean, if the grandparents or somebody can transport your kids that’s great, but I do think it’s pretty unreasonable to expect you to take time off work for this. And if you’ve paid for camp already then “Oh, so sorry but I’m working and the kids have camp” should be a perfectly fine response. You can visit another time with a gift for the birthday girl.
Anonymous
I don’t know why you “of course” have to make it work? You have to work. Full stop.
That said,can you give whoever arranged this a break for not carefully thinking through the distinctions between the kids’ school schedules, your child’s daycare schedule, and your work schedule, and then taking all those variations into account when scheduling they party?
Anon
This. You’re NTA for saying no. They’re also NTA for scheduling the party at a time that works for them. Kids are really busy these days and this may have been the only time that worked well for your niece and her friends.
Anonymous
No you don’t of course have to make it work. “Sorry we can’t make it I have work and the girls are at camp.”
anon
No, you really don’t have to make it work. You’re working.
Anon
No, you don’t have to go to your niece’s birthday party. If they want your kids there, someone can come pick them up.
Senior Attorney
Said a bad word, trying again:
Also, you really don’t have to make it work. I mean, if the grandparents or somebody can t r an s port your kids that’s great, but I do think it’s pretty unreasonable to expect you to take time off work for this. And if you’ve paid for camp already then “Oh, so sorry but I’m working and the kids have camp” should be a perfectly fine response. You can visit another time with a gift for the birthday girl.
A
This would super annoy me if I were in your shoes – I assume you are all local to each other and you are expected to go? This would never happen to me as I’m not local to my niblings (and am not expected to attend even weekend family parties, but I would never assume that a school holiday was fair game for a daytime family event. I rarely take time off no-school days unless we are traveling – if I did that I would be out of PTO in a second!
Anon
I know there are lots of ladies here who’ve run for office. Any tips on running for office in a small town where you’re new?
Interested in running for town council in a teeny town (2,000 people) that we’ve lived in for about a year. We don’t have a mayor; our town is run by the town council made up of 3 councilors – a head and two deputies. The head councilor is unpopular (~850 people voted in the last election; the head councilor ran unopposed and only got ~550 votes, meaning 300 people skipped the head councilor block on the ballot rather than vote for him; the two other councilors also ran unopposed and got ~750-850 votes each).
Ideally I want to seek the head councilor position. There’s a lot of basic (veeerrrry basic) good governance, transparency, and public communication that’s not happening right now that should be. I know townspeople are dissatisfied with the head councilor – there’s an entire FB group dedicated to complaining about him. But I want to tread carefully since we plan to live here for years. Ordinarily I’d say bide my time as a deputy councilor, but I’m afraid of being tainted, so to speak, by the really atrocious practices going on right now.
I welcome anyone’s thoughts/input. Thanks!
Anon
There will be a contingent that thinks you need to serve your time, so to speak, before jumping in to running for the top job. And they’re not entirely wrong. You need to start networking asap and getting to know people and getting to know the history to all the issues. Figure out if you’re stepping on anybody’s toes. Not that you can’t do that, but you need to be aware of it. I think your justification for not wanting to be a deputy is misguided. If you’re different, it will be obvious and you won’t be tainted by association. Think carefully about whether you just really want to be in charge and why that is.
Anon
I agree with everything in this post.
Anon
Is anyone else running for the top job? When is the filing deadline? If no one else is going for it, throw your hat into the ring.
Get a campaign manager, a bank account, and some knowledge of state campaign finance laws. Get some yard signs and bumper stickers.
Generally: meet everyone in the town, talk about your reasons for running, be kind (not “nice” – be reasonable and even tempered), go to every event in town, leave people with a good impression on you.
Avoid negativity – in almost any campaign, you want surrogates to do that for you. In something this small, just straight up avoid it. People know he’s a jerk or they don’t.
Highlight your skills and abilities for this role.
Don’t talk about being a newcomer unless it comes up, and I think your best bet is to be super enthusiastic about this town. You chose it! As an adult! This place is awesome and has so much to offer!
Anon
This is all good campaign advice, but I think OP has a lot of work to do before even getting to that point.
Anonymous
You’ve been there a year and feel qualified to waltz in and change things? Best of luck with that.
Senior Attorney
Yeah the term “carpetbagger” comes to mind.
Betsy
Yeah I don’t think you can do that. Best case scenario, you find a different way to get really involved in the town and run in a few years. But in any small town I’m familiar with, trying to run for the lead position after a year living there would 1. Make the current head more popular than he’s ever been before and 2. Guarantee that you would never win an election in the future.
Work Phone
From a small town, and I agree. Volunteer, go to town council meetings, shake hands and get your face out there.
Anon
Yeah, the potential for long-lasting reputational damage is high.
Anon
Also from a small town and also agree.
anon
You’ve been living in this small town for one year. I think running for the head position is not wise or smart, being what small-town politics are. Run for a deputy position and LEARN before running for the head position. People will (IMO, rightfully) see you as stepping on toes or not really understanding the issues.
Seventh Sister
You might think about running as a deputy, just because you haven’t been around that long. That said, I’m not particularly familiar with this type of governance structure for a small town. To my mind, one of the best things you can do is try and do a bunch of outreach, show up to things, go to town events, just make yourself available.
Anon
It can be very easy to see what’s going wrong in a place within a year, but will take a lot longer than that to really understand why things are the way they are, and what are the effective ways to change it Have you tried literally any other ways to get involved and make a difference, other than running for the very top spot? That is unlikely to be successful and is likely to give the whole town a very bad impression of you that will be hard to shake. I’d recommend spending a couple of years getting to know folks, volunteering, going to meetings, trying to organize for political change, and maybe then reassess.
Anonymous
I cannot imagine why anyone would want to make their house smell like a hotel. Ew.
Anon
Some nice hotels smell very good!
Anon
I’m a frag head. Signature scents are not a new thing. There’s a whole industry of pumping scents into clubs, department stores, hotels etc. I’m not sure id buy one for my own home, but it’s not that different than burning a scented candle. The curated scents for spaces like hotels are very carefully designed so I can see falling in love with one of them and wanting to enjoy them at home.
Right now I have a sprig of blooming jasmine from my garden sitting in front of me, and it scents the whole room. I enjoy that kind of thing.
Cat
High-end hotels def do a signature scent so it’s not like you’re spritzing Eau de Half-Cleaned Spills and Sneaky Smoking around.
But I get a headache from too much fragrance and so the blast of fragrance in the lobby backfires on me — vastly prefer staying at apartments that just smell neutral!
Anon
This made me laugh.
And while I actually like the scents many nice hotels use, I also unfortunately get headaches and irritated sinuses from artificial fragrances and would rather places just be clean and not try to cover up odors or add extra scents.
Anon
I don’t prefer apartments but same on the not liking fragrances.
Anonymous
Yeah, I don’t think anyone’s doing a Vegas-Casino-By-The-Slots home fragrance!
Work Phone
I like the way Embassy Suites hotels smell – but maybe that’s because we stayed there on family vacations and it’s the memories I like :)
Anon
Aww :)
Anon
All I can think when a public building goes to this much trouble to make the air inside it smell like someone’s idea of “good,” is, “Why don’t they spend the resources on a highly MERV rated HVAC system and signage that lets people know that the air is clean.” Also, “What are they covering up?”
Anon
It’s branding. And it’s highly effective – if it weren’t, they wouldn’t spend the money.
There are aromachemical technologies for cancelling unpleasant smells. This isn’t it. It’s not covering something up.
Anon
Seriously. I hate the smell of hotels so much, even when it doesn’t give me an instant headache.
Anon
These hotels are the ones that have everything scented, like how the Westin makes everything smell like white tea.
Anon
I love the hotels that use a really fine fragrance like Bvlgari Au The Vert or Au The Blanc (green tea or white tea, respectively. This used to be the Four Seasons Olympic in Seattle, which I think is a Fairmont now. Not sure what scents they use. I really enjoy that experience.
Anon
I do too! I find being in a place that smells good and everything blends together to be really relaxing. I also enjoy burning candles and room sprays and things like that (my home is clean! I just like scents!) This is a completely different concept from a seedy roach motel slapping a pine-tree air freshener in the room to cover the smell of pot, which is what a lot of people seem to be picturing.
Anon
Hi! Im hoping the Corporette community can help me update my wardrobe for summer. Two questions:
1. Has anyone here worn Bobbie sneakers? I’m looking at the Scott version and wondering if they’re comfortable, run narrow or regular etc.
2. I’m desperately searching for a tiny waist, thick thigh friendly white jean. Any leads? Thank you!
Anon
Talbots’ curvy fit. Bottom of the page.
(Order one size smaller than your usual mall size in everything Talbots. Except in white jeans (no matter the brand), when it’s always a good idea to order one size bigger to avoid any unflatteringness.)
https://www.talbots.com/clothing/jeans?prefn1=colorRefinement&prefv1=White&start=0&sz=36
Anon
Curvy pear here and my best fitting jeans all come from Gap, including a white pair from several seasons back. I agree with the advice to always order a size larger than normal in white pants regardless of the material.
CK
I’m an hourglass and bought white jeans from Madewell last year in a curvy fit that worked well. If I find pants that fit everywhere but the waist, I have them tailored.
Anon
Abercrombie Curve Love
Anonymous
I got Jones New York jeans in Plus size 18 and me and my thick thighs are really comfortable and feel good
Sorry I can’t help with the shoes good luck
Thick thighs are strong!
Senior Attorney
One of the things I have a hard time with when packing for a trip is that somehow I have ended up with a mix of black and navy pieces that don’t, according to conventional wisdeom, go together. Well, according to today’s WaPo, wearing black and navy together is the latest travel fashion hack to make you look stylish: https://wapo.st/49KYvgc I’m tempted to go for it. What say you all? (And also? The people in the comments are SO CRANKY!!)
Anon
my mom wore a black and navy dress to my wedding in 2012 and it looked great. i think black and navy can look great together, but it of course depends on the pieces, etc.
Senior Attorney
…or was it white and gold?
Anon
Haha
Anon
That J. Crew jacket from a year or two ago that is navy with black trim really gave me permission to lean full on into mixing black and navy. I had kind of lost that in the years since my Gap school boy blazer, navy with black trim. Clearly I require a good jacket to anchor my mixing confidence.
Anon
I occasionally mix navy and black in normal life but it takes effort to look intentional. The whole point of a capsule travel wardrobe is that it’s effortless. So it’s a no for me. I stick to black with interesting accessories.
Anon
I think it’s fine to mix them as long as you can make it look intentional, and not like you got dressed in the dark. There needs to be sufficient contrast to make them actually distinct.
Senior Attorney
Yes, fortunately my navy pieces are bright navy so that shouldn’t be an issue.
Anon
I don’t feel like I do a lot of “mixing” pieces when I travel. Warm weather climates it’s usually just one piece (dress) and cooler climates I wear blue jeans which go with any color top. I keep shoes neutral.
NYNY
I do black & navy together all the time, and I think the secret is black shoes, which isn’t a heavy lift for me. Def works better if your style is grown-up goth or French ninja than, say, rufflepuff. But I say go for it!
Anon
I prefer navy & black to trying to match separate navy pieces, which are inevitably slightly different shades and end up clashing badly. For many years I gave up wearing navy entirely because of the frustration of navy skirts and tights and shoes clashing, etc. Nowadays I’ll wear navy sometimes, but it will never be a main basic in my wardrobe.
eggplant
Someone recently took credit for a project that we handled together, and did so in a really public way. I woke up last week to an article in a major trade publication about it. It’s styled as a profile of my coworker, but most of it is about the project, and it provides an account of how it came to be that left a strange taste in my mouth. (He definitely deserves a great deal of credit, but the article makes it sound as if the idea all along were his.)
The coworker is also a close personal friend. He emailed me immediately and said he told the reporter that it was my idea, but that isn’t at all reflected in the reporting. I’m also confused why I’m only learning about this now, when it’s clear that he was interviewed for the article. I’m mentioned in the article, and so he must have given them my name.
I’m struggling with how to deal. Part of me wants to let it go — the project was important to me, but careers are long and I hope I’ll have plenty to talk about. On the other hand, I’m feeling pretty angry about this friendship, and worried that I’m selling myself and my contributions short by letting this go. WWYD?
Anon
Oof, I’m sorry. However, I wouldn’t assume this was your coworker’s fault, especially if he’s been apologetic about it. If the article was a profile of him, it’s not surprising that they played up his role and didn’t focus much on other people’s contributions. That’s just how that kind of article tends to work, which is why it’s important to balance who gets featured in those articles in the first place (ie not just white men).
eggplant
That was my initial reaction — I’m familiar with these kinds of marketing-driven pieces, and I completely understand talking up your own contributions in that setting. But half of this profile is devoted to this one project, and it includes statements that are factually inaccurate about how it came to be. (Hard to describe in the abstract, but it’s as if I had introduced him to an obscure lithuanian novel and proposed making a space-western from it, and then he later told a reporter that the idea came to him from studying the author in college.)
It is in a trade publication, but it’s one that’s widely read in my industry. I’ve mentioned the project in seeking other professional opportunities, and I’m a bit worried that others might not take my own account of my efforts seriously after reading this.
Anon
Then I guess the question is whether you think your coworker lied to the writer or if he told the truth but it got twisted in the writing. Like in your example, he did study the author in college and he drew on that experience for the project, after you gave him the initial idea. That kind of thing seems completely plausible, given my experience with this kind of interview. At this point, it’s too late to change the article, so you should probably be more proactive about claiming credit for this project, but do you feel like your coworker will support you in this or undermine you?
I wouldn’t assume that people won’t believe you just because of the profile though. I think everyone knows how they tend to be skewed toward the person featured, the issue is just that they’ll have a bias toward associating it with him not you because of the prominent coverage.
Anon
As a former journalist I can confirm that even very smart skilled reporters make mistakes like this, so it’s very possible your friend is not lying. And I agree with the person above that everyone knows that puff pieces like this are designed to prop up the person being featured and everything said in them should be take with a grain of salt.
Anon
The ideal answer is for the publication to print a retraction of some sort. But that would depend upon your colleague/friend telling the reporter they got it wrong.
I work with the media quite a bit and the number of times they get things wrong, even in specialized technical media, is unsettling.
Anon
Can your company (or your frenemy) help you get a profile in a similar publication?
Anon
I had something similar happen once. A trade publication wrote up a piece about a successful project that our team had worked on, but got things very wrong about who had contributed what. I wrote to the reporter and he corrected the errors and the article was updated with the correct information (it was an online-only publication). You can do the same: contact the publication and ask them to print a correction and/or to re-publish the piece with corrected information.
couch recommendations?
I’ve been meaning to replace my couch since early 2020. Do you have a favorite?
Current couch is a small low profile ikea couch. It’s done its duty for about 8 years.
Requirements are not modular, not L shaped, and something with support but not so firm you cant get comfy or tale a nap. Perferably fabric with washable cushion covers.
joan wilder
Do you have a budget? I swear by my Room & Board couch which replaced an IKEA couch I’d had for more than a decade. They have a lot of fabric choices.
Sunshine
We just purchased our third Jonathan Lewis couch. Bought the first one in 2015 and it still looks great. We both the other 2 this year when we moved into a much larger house and needed more furniture. But, no kids and no pets.
NY CPA
If you’re willing to go more expensive than Ikea, I love my Ethan Allen couch. I have the Hyde model. I must have tested 100 couches at various stores before settling on mine. It’s so comfortable!
Blow Dry vs Air Dry
I posted too late this morning so reposting this:
What is healthier for your hair: washing and blow drying 2x week or washing, combing while wet and air drying every other day? I thought the latter was healthier, but I seem to be shedding more hair now
anon
i’m not an expert and i have no idea but i’m not sure healthy is the same thing as shedding?
Anon
There is no one correct shampoo frequency. It depends on your hair texture, color routine, skin type, activity level, and climate. If your hair looks greasy and flat then you need to wash it more often. If it’s dry and brittle then wash it less often. If you’re shedding more hair then stop doing whatever you’re doing. In general the more you heat style your hair the more you risk damage. Of course blow drying it twice a week is more damaging than shampooing it 3x a week.
Anonymous
I don’t know. I keep seeing IG reels from dermatologists saying air drying is bad but I had never heard that before and love the waves I get from air drying, so I haven’t given it up.
Anon
I’m curious about why in the world a dermatologist would say that air drying your hair is bad. People air dried their hair for millennia before the hair dryer was invented.
Anon
Read about the hair growth phases – anagen, catagen, telegen, exogen. Most likely neither of these things is causing more hair loss. I’ve had telegen effluvium twice after a major flare of my autoimmune disease. It was not caused by my hair drying or brushing method.
Anonymous
There’s a Reddit group about hair science and it’s pretty helpful
This sounds like a question that group would love to discuss
anon
recognizing that i am 6 inches shorter than most models, are tuckernuck dresses crazy short? saw a dress with a long jacket/cardigan in an instagram video but it is wildly too short for anyone to wear to work, let alone an old lady like me…
NY CPA
This is why I have hesitated to buy anything on that site. Some of the dresses are really pretty but way too short.
Anonymous
They state the length for each dress.
Anon
The short ones are very short. I call them standing dresses, great for a party. Sit / lean over at your own risk though. I do have long legs though.
Anon
Has anyone published a book of family genealogy? Wondering about what publishing program to use.
This would be primarily fact-based with citations, with some narrative paragraphs as known. I have photos for a good many relatives and could include them, but this will be a genealogical fact book with a side of photos, not a photobook with a side of facts.
Anon
I like Affinity Publisher. It’s got a lot of great functionality, and was much more affordable than Adobe InDesign.
Anon
I will note that the Affinity program won’t do a reference list or bibliography like MS word does though. But it’s very nice for the layout portion.
Anon
Can someone explain this to me like I’m 5? I was making $140,000 in the private sector. I’m now making $125,000 in the public sector. My private sector paycheck was taxed at $1,000 for federal taxes. However, my public sector paycheck is also taxed at $1,000 for federal taxes. Why am I paying the same amount in taxes when I’m making $15,000 less?
Anonymous
Are you bumping up against a cap for certain taxes?
Cat
-same number of paychecks per year?
-no change in withholding?
-no change in pretax deductions? Like did you previously have an HSA and now you don’t?
Anon
Well, first of all, it could just be a withholding difference and you’ll get a bigger refund. Are there pre/post-tax retirement or healthcare differences?
Anon
The W-4 was revamped a couple of years ago, so maybe your W-4 for your private sector job was under the old W-4, and now you are under the new.
Are you sure your public sector job pays into Social Security? Some state and sub-divisions of state entities do not.
If you’re only talking about withholding, it should all equalize when you file your taxes. If you are getting back too much of a refund for 2023, adjust your W-4 for 2024.
Anon
OP here. I looked at my W4 and realized I had a box checked saying I have multiple jobs, which isn’t true. I unchecked it. Maybe this will help?
Anon
You should just use the IRS’s Tax Withholding Estimator. I’m not entirely clear what your goal is, but I’m guessing to minimize the amount withheld? The amount you actually pay in taxes is not determined by how much money gets taken out of your paycheck.
Cat
That box would cause tax to be over-withheld — since it’s assumed your gross income is higher than just what you’re getting from that employer.
Anon
Withholding is different than the amount of tax you’ll owe at the end of the year. Your $1000 per paycheck is just an estimate.
There are online calculators you can use to estimate your full year taxes. Then you can adjust your W4 as necessary to aim for that amount of withholding over the course of the year.
Anon
There is a worksheet for the W-4 that you can fill out. Your pre-tax benefits may be different enough that that is why. Or 401k / 403b situation is different. IDK.
Anon
This is for 3:59 above.
Anon
Is anyone seeing concerns about “World War 3” on social media or otherwise online (in relation to Iran’s bombing of Israel Saturday)? If so, where? I am not.
Anon
I’m not sure where, but my coworker’s teenager just called her terrified about this, so clearly it’s somewhere!
Anon
Seen on twitter: “We are prepared to use a weapon that we have never used” [against Israel] said a spokesman for Iranian Parliament member
LA Law
There is a contingent on social media that thinks WWIII is about to start every time hostilities break out anywhere, but especially in the Middle East. (Although they also spent some time last year convinced thar Russia was about to nuke Ukraine, which would then cause all of the western countries to respond.) You are probably not seeing it because the algorithms do not think you are an alarmist.
But then my 75-year old mother said over the weekend that she remembers being convinced WWIII was about to break out any minute for her entire childhood, so this is not new.
Anon
I’m an older Gen X er who has been waiting for WW III for my whole life. That’s what we were raised on.
Alison
“Wolverines!”
Anon
My sibling in the military is worried about this and called me Saturday to discuss the possibility.