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Updated: Nov 1, 2018 147 Comments · by

Coffee Break: Beacon Court – Georgica Tote

Coffee Break

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Kate Spade New York Beacon Court - Georgica ToteI normally prefer east-west totes (I hate that feeling of digging forever), but something about this tall tote from Kate Spade New York is calling my name. I think it would be great for anyone who carries file folders, magazines, notebooks, or larger books around on a regular basis, and I like that textured patent leather. (Ooh! And, a tablet pocket.) As always I love metal feet and a fun lining (in this case, floral). The bag comes in both black and grey; it was $428 but is now $286.76. Kate Spade New York Beacon Court – Georgica Tote (L-2)

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Comments

  1. Anon

    Random rant –

    All of my facebook “sponsored post/sponsored ads” recently are for fertility treatments/fertility clinics.

    I am not TTC.

    I am not googling things relating to fertility or TTC.

    I am, however, approaching 34 and do not have children (and thus don’t have photos of children on FB).

    If FB’s algorithm is trying to tell me that my clock is ticking, it can go f*** itself.

    That’s all :)

    • Annie

      I get that now! Before I got engaged, I got lots of engagment ring pictures. Before I got married, I got lots of wedding planning ads. Now that I’ve been married for a few years and don’t have kids, facebook has decided I must be having difficulty conceiving.

      • Sydney Bristow

        Didn’t it come out in the past year or so that Target was sending targeted ads based on your pharmacy orders? I think I remember people saying they started filling their birth control prescription at other pharmacies and started getting coupons and ads for baby stuff. It all creeps me out a bit.

        • Craving Privacy

          Yes. The article in the NYT told the story of a father who apologized to the store manager to whom, a couple months earlier, he had ranted (“Why are you sending my high school aged daughter circulars for baby products?! Leave her alone! She’s a kid!”) once his daughter revealed that she was pregnant. Target knew before she told her parents!

          • Anonymous

            I know this isn’t the “correct” response to that story, but work with Big Data and love it because out there somewhere is a programmer who totally aced that algorithm. ::cue theme to Rocky::

        • Miss Behaved

          Tuesday’s guest on The Daily Show mentioned this. She was the White House Chief Security Officer and now she’s written a book.

          • Sydney Bristow

            That sounds like an interesting book. I’m going to add that to my list.

        • Wildkitten

          Facebook targeting is done by the advertisers – not by Facebook. (Target advertising is done by Target). So, that fertility clinic decided to target like, married women with this education in this zip code who do not yet have children. Which, is kind of fair for them – that’s probably most of their clientele.

        • Cb

          It is a little creepy. I wish I could mark ‘not pregnant’ on my Tesco account so I could stop getting vouchers for diapers and baby food.

    • Ashley

      Way, way back when this was done by snail mail, I had the same thing happen when I was about your age. Mysterious kid-centric catalogs started showing up in my mailbox. I shared you sentiment about them.

    • Craving Privacy

      At Rite-Aid yesterday, the check out woman tried to upsell me a “Wellness Card” when I told her that I did not already have one. I declined. She insisted (“You are paying more for these items than you would if you joined our Wellness program.”) I told her that I value my privacy and do not want Rite Aid tracking what I buy. She made a face.

      Then, on the way home, I heard the story about Amazon’s plan to send things that it “thinks I might like” but that I have not ordered or agreed to purchase to my house “just in case I want them.” That is a chutzpah!

      Why can’t everyone leave us alone until we ask them for something?

      • Miss Behaved

        You should read Dave Eggers’ The Circle. It really makes you think about where you draw the line…

        • Monday

          +1. I finished it yesterday, LOVED it, and can’t quite think the same way about this stuff anymore!

      • Sydney Bristow

        Yikes on the Amazon thing! There might be an interesting legal question about whether you would be obligated to return or pay for them.

        The only semi-reasonable thing aside from discounts I’ve heard about the Rite Aid/grocery store/whatever cards is that they can be useful in case of a product recall that you’d be affected by. I do have them at places I go frequently to get the lower price but you’re right. I think I’ve gone too far down the path in order to ever get my privacy back. The more I think about it and the more that is revealed, the more uncomfortable I get.

        • Wildkitten

          Really? An interesting legal question of if you’d be required to buy things you did not ask or agree to buy? I did get a B in Contracts, but I don’t think that’s an interesting legal question.

          • Sydney Bristow

            I meant more the issue of whether you can keep it and treat it as a gift since it was not something you agreed to purchase. Being required to return them (or feeling obligated to do so) could be a huge burdon. I’ve heard of magazines doing this before and then trying to charge for a subscription you never signed up for. It always sounded like a small scale thing though. The way that Craving Privacy and the news media explained it I thought it might be like that but on a grand scale. Doesn’t matter since that isn’t actually what they are planning to do.

      • tesyaa

        I get where you’re coming from, but I am obsessed with the savings from my Rite Aid wellness card. First of all, Rite Aid is one of the few retail establishments of any type near where I work. And with a bunch of kids kids of different sexes, plus two middle aged adults, it’s pretty hard to stereotype my family’s purchases. Maybe I’ve thrown caution to the wind though and will regret it later…

      • rosie

        I was browsing in CVS and spent a bit of time looking at 2 different items. I did not buy anything from either aisle, but when I paid (I have their rewards card, whatever it’s called), my coupons were for the 2 items I had been looking at. It was quite odd and a little creepy, although I did end up using the coupons on a later trip, so it worked.

      • TBK

        Amazon’s plan isn’t to actually send them to your house (although that’s how it’s being described in the media). It’s to send things to local warehouses that have been popular with people in a certain area. Think pre-positioning snow gear in a warehouse outside Chicago in November. Then when the orders come, it will take a day less to ship them. Also, they’ve only just designed this system; they don’t yet have a plan to put it into use.

      • Lentil H8R

        I don’t think you have to really give them any identifying information. I have one rewards card that I got in the 90s that was keyed to my phone number at the time. Someone else seems to have signed up for a card with that number and now I’m “Mrs. Hernandez” when the person reads my name off of the receipt.

        I don’t want to mess things up for the real Hernandez family or for me, so I’ve never dug into it.

        It might be Big Data, but not all inputs are good data. :)

        • AIMS

          I give them fake info. I have a fake name and phone number I use for all of them. I am sure they can still figure out my info if they really care based on my CC that I use, but if I cared that much about it, I wouldn’t use a credit card period. I also love when people refuse to sign up for those reward cards at Duane Reade and Walgreens because then I get to helpfully offer them mine at the cash register and get all their points. Mwahahahaha!

        • tesyaa

          Come to think of it, my CVS cards is “discounts only” because I never gave them any info. They told me I would then lose out on check-cashing privileges, which didn’t FAZE me because somehow I lived 40+ years without ever needing or wanting to cash a check at a CVS.

      • Susie

        I finally succumbed to the pressure and got a Macys credit card this week after fighting them off everytime I made a purchase the last several years. Kind of having regrets now, I really didn’t want another credit card to keep track of.

        • tesyaa

          I once got a Sears card to save $16 on a vacuum. (Yikes). It was annoying to cancel it (took months), but I hardly ever shop at Sears so I should never have gotten it in the first place.

        • hellskitchen

          I resisted a Macy’s card for a while but after making several purchases there I got one. And I like that I get an extra 15-20% off almost every single time I buy something there. I think I use it enough and the rewards is substantial enough (at least to me) that it’s worthwhile. I also once signed up for a Banana Republic card to get a discount but realized that I don’t get any benefit every time I shop there so canceled it.

    • Jules

      My DH is 60, and our only child just started college. But about six months ago we started receiving two different baby and parenting magazines (not ads but full magazines, every month), addressed to DH. He swears he has nothing to confess to me . . .

      • hoola hoopa

        Haha!

        My parents started getting junk mail at their home addressed to my brother’s father-in-law. No one has any idea why. His wife needed to get mail directed there briefly many years ago, so all we can figure is that somehow some database somewhere had that outdated address and managed to link it to her dad.

      • Anonymous

        I’ve been getting mail from AARP on how to sign up for Medicare. I’m 30…

      • Cat

        maybe your high schooler was buying condoms and now that those purchases aren’t associated with your address, they think you’re TTC!

        • Jules

          No, definitely not about to have grandkids — DS has a serious girlfriend, but he has told me they are obsessively careful (using condoms and the pill) because they both are terrified of a pregnancy at their ages. But if the supermarket and convenience store where I’m pretty sure he’s bought condoms has somehow traced that to our address, and added in his dad’s name to start sending us Parenting magazine, I would really freak out and thinking about going off the grid.

    • posey

      Someone out there in the world knows I am having a baby girl, because I recently starting getting American Girl catalogs.

      Related: they no longer make Kirstin or Samantha and are phasing out Molly.

      • TBK

        Too bad I’m not having a girl I own both Kirsten and Samantha circa 1989. Vintage!

      • Gail the Goldfish

        I went in the American Girl store in NYC recently for a nostalgia kick and got really annoyed that they’ve retired a bunch of the historical character dolls and have relegated the remaining ones to a tiny corner on the 3rd floor of this massive store. The historical aspect was the best part.

        • Wildkitten

          Chicago has the historical dolls on the first floor and the new ones relegated to the back/upstairs.

    • Ugh

      I started getting parenting magazines right after I had a miscarriage. I guess they assumed that all the fertility meds were working. I had a hard time cancelling the magazine too since it was free.

  2. Sydney Bristow

    Kat, I’ve been getting an ad for Jelly Splash for the past few days that has a pop up (sometimes 2) to try and take me to the iPhone App Store. I’m on Safari on my iPhone. Not sure if you wanted to know this but since I’ve never seen pop up ads here before I’d let you know. It’s a bit annoying.

  3. Positive ANA Test

    Hi all,

    Looking for advice to save me from dr. google. I just received blood test results and I tested positive for ANAs. I was right on the border between a “low positive” and a “high positive”. To my knowledge, I don’t have any symptoms of lupus or RA. Does anyone have experience with this test or has anyone had a positive that turned out to be no big deal? At my Dr.’s request, I have a follow-up appointment with a rheumatologist but it’s not until the end of Feb.

    • Coach Laura

      Positive ANA tests are very common and false positives are too. I know several people who had high numbers but had no diagnosis subsequent to the test. I know it’s hard not to worry, especially since you have a long wait to see the rhumy. You can take comfort in the fact that if it was serious, your doc would make the rhumy work you in sooner.

      But my PSA is to make sure that the doc tests you for celiac disease, which is often overlooked because doctors were previously taught to look for specific things (young chil or very thin adult). Newer research shows that celiac can be triggered after childhood and exist in overweight adults. (Ask me how I know… it would have saved me 30 years of mis-diagnoses and missed diagnoses.)

    • jc

      I have a positive ANA (I have RA and was borderline lupus but have no lupus symptoms). I do agree with Coach Laura that there can be false positives. If you aren’t having symptoms, I wouldn’t worry too much about it. The rheumatologist will be able to give you more specific advice as to whether this is an issue or not. It may just be something you have to monitor for awhile. Do you have any family history?

      • Cb

        Yep, I have positive ANA (but just on the other side of normal) and have lupus that is easily controlled by meds. I think positive ANA is super common among women so don’t Dr Google too much.

    • Positive ANA Test

      I don’t have any family history (that we know of). My Mom has thyroid issues but I don’t think that’s related to this, is it? The dr.’s only concerns were (1) I have chronic tension headaches and (2) I had a swollen lymph node for 8 weeks but it’s almost completely gone now.

      • jc

        I wouldn’t worry too much then, it could be a false positive, or it could be an actual positive and nothing will ever happen. I wouldn’t stress too much over it! And do NOT google!

        • Positive ANA Test

          Too late haha. My biggest worry is that I don’t see much on false positives online… It looks like most of the time a positive means something is lurking… I will try to stop freaking myself out now!

    • NancyD

      I have tested positive ANA twice. Never been diagnosed with any autoimmune disease. I think in my case it doesn’t mean anything.

  4. zora

    I am having an irritating day, and am stressed by how much is on my todo list. So, let me live vicariously:

    Anyone have fun weekend plans? Bonus points for active/outside things.

    • KC

      It’s too cold to think about doing much outside, but I am excited to take my first spin class this weekend, if that counts as active :) I’m also judging a high school competition for an activity that I did through college, so I’m looking forward to that.

      • GlobalEmily

        Hey! What a coincidence? I’m taking my first spinning class this weekend!

        If it makes you feel better Zora, aside from the spinning class, I’ll be spending most of the weekend studying for the February Bar Exam. Stupid lack of state reciprocity for attorneys who haven’t been barred and practicing for at least 5 years [grumble grumble].

    • Miss Behaved

      My dad’s birthday is tomorrow. My brother, his wife, my 2-year-old nephew and my mom and dad are celebrating this weekend. We haven’t decided whether to do it at their house on the Cape or my brother’s place.

      He’s requested short ribs and I’m making the Pioneer Woman’s ice cream pie with Caramel sauce. My dad gets to choose the ice cream flavors. The little guy is going to help me make the cake and he’s learning to sing Happy Birthday. Fun and family-centric.

    • Ashley

      I will by doing a few hours of sewing for Warm Up America at a local craft store. It probably isn’t high on other people’s list of fun things to do, but I am looking forward to it.

    • JB

      I feel you. This week has been a series of mistakes at work, my love interest told me he wasn’t interested, and I worked late on my birthday. This weekend I’m heading out to the slopes for a day of skiing to distract me.

      • zora

        awww, i’m sorry. Dumb Week Solidarity! But the skiing sounds perfect, have fun!

        • tesyaa

          Two members of my family did dumb things/had bad weeks this week – I’m feeling their pain. But my work week was pretty good, and despite the big storm, the babysitter worked the whole day on the kids’ snow day, so win.

        • JB

          Thanks Zora!
          Bette – the least happy week of the year sounds familiar to me the last few years….

      • Bette

        This is supposed to be the least happy week of the year so at least you can hope that it gets better!

    • Sparrow

      My husband’s band is playing their first gig at a local bar. Unfortunately, it’s supposed to snow, but hopefully there will still be a good turnout. Also, I’m looking forward to wearing some “going out” clothes as opposed to my standard business casual during the week.

    • kjoirishlastname

      Running my typical duty group at the rescue squad from noon-4 on Saturday…Meal planning and Grocery shopping. I am sorry that my life is less exciting to live vicariously through.
      But tomorrow, since our nanny is off, I come into the office from 9-12:30 tomorrow, then go home and nap with my Puddin’ till Bubba gets off the bus. Then probably to the back yard for more sledding, if there’s still snow.

    • Anon

      Skiing for the first time all year! Can’t. Freaking. Wait to get outside and out of my office/off my couch.

    • EB0220

      Going to see a friend’s newborn! And have lots of yummy food in the city we used to live in. And hopefully a few walks along the river – if the weather is ok!

    • zora

      Yay!!! R3tt3s have awesome weekend plans! I am already cheered up ;o) Keep em coming!

    • Local-eater

      Doughnut tour of the city! Should be awesome. I will insist we walk between doughnut places as much as possible to increase my ability to eat.

    • Jo March

      Professor Bhaer and I rented a cabin with a fireplace and a big jetted tub.

      This is the third year in a row we’ve gone up there. It’s peaceful and lovely, the tub is big enough for me to fit my 8m pregnant self into without my belly sticking out and being cold, and it’s our last vacation before Baby Bhaer arrives. Very much looking forward to it!

      Unfortunately, the forecast is for about -20 Celsius. So there probably won’t be any lovely snowy walks.

    • Cb

      Crummy weather is on the horizon here so I’m working and doing some baking. We’re also reserving one day for tv watching, novel reading, and video game playing.

  5. Miss Behaved

    Okay. One last plus for the Boston Corpor3tt3 meetup at Charlie’s Kitchen in Harvard Square at 6 pm tonight.

    If you’re interested in joining us, email bostoncorpor3tte at gmail

  6. Rufus

    Hi everyone. I have a couple of questions for you all. I recently had a baby and am staying home for the foreseeable future. The problem is, all of my clothes are suits or workout clothes. Every time I buy casual tee shirts they seem to shrink 11 minutes later. Does anyone have any recommendations for casual wear?

    Second question: Besides consignment stores, does anyone have any ideas on where to sell used suits? They are custom made (Tom James) suits ranging in price from $1000-2000.

    Thanks for any help!

    • BB

      I have a similar problem as you where most of my shopping is for work clothes and hiking gear with very little in between.

      I find J. Crew is always a good place to start for smart casual clothes at not much cost when it’s on sale. It’s where I go if I see some outfit in a magazine/person that I want to try but don’t want to splurge on yet. It’s also more age appropriate than Zara or H&M.

      • BB

        Also forgot to add that a lot of my work clothes can be paired with casual pieces and become casual. Blazer + nice top + jeans or casual top + pencil skirt.

    • Lentil H8R

      Land’s End. It’s my garanimals. They often have awesome sales.

      A lot of stuff is wearable to more formal things and a lot of it washable, so nothing is too nice to wear at home, either.

      • hoola hoopa

        +1 Lands End. LOL, I’m totally going to start calling it my Garanimals.

        For t-shirts, I also really like Halogen.

        My current day with kids uniform is fleece tights, short knit skirt, and a cute (but very washable) top with or without a long cardigan or scarf. If you don’t already, check out aintnomamajeans.com. Even if it’s not your style, her theory is spot-on.

    • R

      If you recently had a baby, stick with cheaper clothes until your size levels out. My baby is almost 10 months and I’m still changing shape.
      Try Target. Their workout clothes from C9 are pretty reasonable and hold up well, and their sweaters/tshirts are usually decent.

    • Katherine

      Eddie Bauer! Their stuff is good quality, I have several t-shirts that have withstood frequent use for years. I’d love to have a lifestyle where I wore Eddie Bauer clothes all the time.

  7. preg 3L

    Totally awesome – two new moms in my class brought me baby gifts today!
    Not as awesome – I am 37 weeks pg and feel like a beached whale. I am so uncomfortable. Any tips on (1) getting through the next few weeks until the baby comes, (2) final prep I should do, or (3) ideas for getting the baby out ASAP??

    • tesyaa

      The last few weeks are the worst, but you should try to keep the little one inside a little longer.

      In any event, I don’t know anyone who went into slightly early labor using the “tricks” people used to talk about (exercise, castor oil, etc).

      • wisteria

        I’m sure you’re a lovely person, but if someone told me that at 37 weeks, I’d probably want to punch that person in the face.

        • Anonymous

          Maybe so, but 37 weeks is not full term anymore. 39 weeks is considered full term and for very good reason. My first was born at 36w6d and second was born at 39w3d. Yes, I was miserable for the last few weeks of my second pregnancy. But it did not even compare to the misery of an early baby. Parenting is one huge exercise in patience and the last few weeks of pregnancy are like a miserable patience bootcamp. A quick look online will give you a ton of information on how important those last weeks of pregnancy really are for the baby.

    • Anon

      (1) swim as much as possible (feeling weightless is awesome), (2) a pedicure, dinners and uninterrupted movies with DH, (3) LGPs, spicy foods, curb walking

    • hoola hoopa

      The only “trick” I’ve observed that seemed even remotely actually effective was acupuncture. Although, that mom-to-be had an incredibly drawn out labor (as in, several days) so I’m not sure I’d go that route.

      It’s cliché, but it’s cliché for a reason: Do things with your partner that you won’t be able to do once the baby arrives. Go to nice restaurants, go to the movies, read a book, sleep. To keep me from going insane waiting for our first, my husband took me on dates to the major gardens and parks in our area. I got in some walking and got my mind off it. Bonus was that he snapped a couple of tourist-y pics, which I now really like because I otherwise wouldn’t have any pics of me absurdly pregnant.

      For prep, freezer meals. Address birth announcement envelopes, if you like. Load up your kindle and let shows back up on your Hulu queue – you’ll have plenty of time for those soon enough.

    • mascot

      There was a restaurant in my city that was known for its labor inducing eggplant parmesan. It didn’t work for me, but it was fun to go and try it. Perhaps your town has something similar. Stock up on snacks and drinks for you once the baby comes. Nursing made me really hungry and thirsty but caring for a newborn was too exhausting and overwhelming at times to eat properly. Having something healthy-ish snacks that I could eat one handed while holding a baby was key.

    • Anita

      Prenatal massage! It’s the bomb. Sleep, if you can. And, I know this may be controversial, but since you are 37 weeks, enjoy a glass of wine.

    • EB0220

      My kid came at 36.5 weeks, so I totally cheated and skipped that terrible part. (She was totally healthy so I can joke.) I got a pedicure/foot massage that morning and went into labor < 12 hours later. Anecdata FTW!

      • POAS

        This is with a shaker of salt, but my prenatal masseuse mentioned there’s a reflexology point in your heels that can induce labor/contractions and said to let them know I’m pregnant if I get a pedicure so they can avoid that spot.

    • Anonn

      No tips, just commiseration since I’m nearly in the same boat as you (I’m 36 weeks tomorrow). I’m getting a massage this weekend and am beyond excited about it.

      In related news: the maternity coat I bought no longer buttons, which is awesome when its 2 degrees outside. And I refuse to buy another one at this point. I know I look ridiculous commuting in my husband’s extra large bubble coat, but I’d rather be warm. Hopefully my ridiculousness makes someone on the train smile during rush hour.

      Good luck!

  8. Anon

    Does anyone have experience with getting FSA reimbursements for therapy? My therapist is not in network for my insurance so I’m paying out of pocket ($160 per visit). I know that I could change to an in-network therapist but the selection is incredibly small in my area, and it took me many attempts before I found a therapist I like (my current one). When I get an FSA reimbursement check, it’s from my employer – how does this work? If I submitted a request for reimbursement, would my employer then find out that I go to therapy? I submit the reimbursement requests online through our third party FSA administrator, but then the check is from my employer. Am I overthinking this?

    • tesyaa

      If your plan is self-insured, that might be why the insurer pays the reimbursement directly.

      As an aside, if you have out of network benefits, you should be covered for some reimbursement after deductible and copays.

    • Anonymous

      I think my workplace sees the paperwork because I once got a cryptic call from our de facto HR sort of referring to a claim I’d submitted, but doing so carefully.

    • Anon

      Who administers your FSA? Mine is Conexis and no one at my employer sees anything beyond new employee enrollment paperwork and open enrollment updates each year. The reimbursement came from Conexis.

        • Mpls

          If your employer uses a third party administrator to validate and pay the claims, then the employer doesn’t see the actual claim information. (At least, if they work like our TPA does). Whether it’s a reimbursable expense depends on how it falls under the IRS guidelines and is an excellent question for your TPA. Actually, the question about how much the Employer sees about the expense would also be a good question for the TPA as well – they would know best about how much the Employer can access that info.

  9. Lyssa

    We’re looking for somewhere to vacation probably May-June-ish. “We” is me, my husband, and our then 1.5 year old. I’m thinking first trip to the beach, though I’m open to considering other suggestions. It will be the first real trip with him that doesn’t involve other relatives. Here’s the criteria I’m looking for:

    * Within the US, though we’re open to going off-continent (baby doesn’t have a passport yet)
    * On the south-eastern side of the country, for ease of travel and warmth (particularly warm water) purposes.
    * Friendly to the kid without being overly kid-oriented.
    * For the beach, I want it to be truly beachy – sand, waves, that sort of thing. I grew up near the Jersey Shore, so if the kid’s going to have his first trip to the beach, I want it to be a real beach experience, not one of those wimpy big salty lake beaches.
    * Something resort-like – I’d prefer to be able to stay at the hotel as much as possible. Nice pool, good beach access, several restaurants/bars. We’re open to all-inclusive, but that’s not a requirement.
    * Good food! We’re big foodies, and will definitely want to make sure to have at least one really special dinner while we’re traveling (doesn’t have to be on the hotel property).
    * Upscale-ish, but still relatively budget friendly.

    Suggestions? I’m thinking Florida is likely my best bet, but my only experiences there are back from my days of shoestring budgets.

    • Sparrow

      We had a great time in South Beach. I booked airfare and hotel directly through the Ritz Carlton website and got a good deal – and a direct flight from our midwestern town!

      The beach is nice and great for swimming. The staff of the hotel set up beach chairs and umbrellas for you. You can also rent a beach bed for a day, which is really nice. The food at the Ritz was great. We ate dinner there a couple of nights in a row. There are some restaurants within walking distance of the hotel also.

      I don’t have kids, but I did see kids at the hotel. And the hotel has a spa if you want to book some alone time.

    • Cat

      by “wimpy beach” are you ruling out the gulf coast? yes, the waves are nada compared to the east coast surf, but if you’re trying to introduce a toddler to the water it may be easier when you’re not freaking out about an undertow! Was recently in the Naples area, which would be great for your requirements other than non-wimpy waves :) The food there wasn’t NYC-level of foodie-ness, but there was much better variety than many beach towns.

      Another thought is the islands off Charleston – Kiawah, Seabrook, etc. You could have a foodie dinner or two in Charleston and plenty of wide beaches with “real” waves.

        • Cat

          we stayed north of downtown Naples (north of the Ritz) and pretty much stayed within walking distance for food. So if you’ll be more central, my experience may not be much help. But if you’ll also be north (and are still checking this thread) let me know — my MIL did most of the restaurant arranging so my memory isn’t super sharp, but I can probably reconstruct :)

          • AIMS

            We’re going to be in a car so any specific recs would be great, if it’s not too much trouble. I’m especially interested in any cute breakfast places or anything else particularly enjoyable. Thanks!

    • Cat

      Also, think about San Juan – no need for a passport, plenty of cuisine in Old San Juan and tons of resorts.

    • mascot

      SC: Kiawah and Seabrook are beautiful
      GA: St. Simons and Sea Island ($$$)
      FL: Sandestin, Amelia Island, Sanibel/Captiva Islands

      • SC

        I grew up in Florida and loved vacationing on Amelia Island. Also, at that time of year it might be nicer to be somewhere in South Carolina, Georgia, or northern Florida – South Florida is already pretty hot by late May.

      • AEK

        My family lives on Amelia Island, and it’s a nice family vacation spot, but in May/June the weather will be warm but the water won’t be, yet. If that matters. South Florida (either coast) or the Keys will have nice welcoming water temps.

        I grew up forcing myself into the Atlantic in Rhode Island in June, so I am embarrassed to raise the water-temp issue, but if it matters to you, keep it in mind.

      • Gail the Goldfish

        I basically spent all my summers on St. Simons as a kid, so I’ll second that recommendation. Sea Island is super pricey, but St. Simons has plenty of reasonable options. HOWEVER, the water is kind of gross. It’s right by river outlet, so you get a lot of silt. It’s not gorgeous Florida clear. If you go even one island or two islands down, like to Jekyll or Fernandina, it’s nicer (either of which would be a good option-check out Jekyll Island Club). The beaches on Cumberland Island are also gorgeous, but it’s a national park and there’s only one hotel on the island, which is very nice, and correspondingly very pricey. I’ll also agree with the islands near Charleston (Isle of Palms is the one I’ve been to), or Sanibel/Captiva. My parents really like Seaside in Florida, though I’ve never been.

    • TBK

      Puerto Rico. I stayed only briefly in San Juan but there are definitely some nice resorts there. Also the water is beautiful anywhere in PR. No passport. American money. And Old San Juan and the local fort are nice just to explore (and I think a toddler would enjoy them too).

    • marketingchic

      Beach vacations are great with a toddler. For me, beach-front is a must because during nap and after bedtime you can sit on your balcony and drink wine. It’s also a lot faster to go back to your room for diaper changes, etc. I like Hilton Head in general, but there are not as much beach-front properties there. The Gulf Coast (including someone else’s Rosemary Beach rec) has more beach-front rentals.

      Playing with a toddler on the beach is so much fun ! Have a great time!

    • cbackson

      I grew up going to the Golden Isles (Jekyll, St. Simons, Sea Island) in Georgia and would really recommend them. The Cloister at Sea Island is pricey but awesome and would fit your not-wanting-to-leave-the-hotel bill. St. Simons has the best old-fashioned beach town vibe – not sure what the hotel situation is like, though (we always rented houses).

      • Gail the Goldfish

        There are good hotels on St. Simons. Condo rentals are probably the best option-Shipwatch is the one my family usually gets. It’s right on the beach and reasonably priced. The old fashioned beach town vibe isn’t nearly what it was 10 or 15 years ago-it’s grown a lot. But still a good beach town.

    • zora

      Lyssa!!! i have no suggestions, but I remember when you had that little peanut! And now you’re going to be taking a toddler to the beach!! That is the cutest ever! ;o) so happy for you, you better report back.

    • C, Esq.

      Seaside, FL! You can rent a small house (which I find to be so much easier with a toddler than trying to share a hotel room for sleep/nap purposes), and it is beyond family friendly. I used to go there with my family when I was a kid, and it is a really special place. We spent a week there last May with our then-16-month-old and it was one of the most perfectly wonderful vacations I have ever had.

  10. Patagonia jacket

    I know the Patagonia Tres parka was recommended on the earlier thread, but can anyone speak to how warm the Vosque or Duete parkas are? I need a new winter coat that’s best for 0-35 degrees and I love Patagonia, but I haven’t heard how these styles are (I just know they’re cheaper than the Tres!). TIA!

    • Ellen

      I need a new coat also so PLEASE post your answer when you find out from the HIVE. I need a WARM coat, prefereably NOT to puffy, but WARM! I have froze my tuchus for the last 3 days and should NEVER have given away my down coat, dad says, and now I think mabye he was right. Myrna is a doll for letting me use her fur coat, but it smell’s funny when wet. I think whatever animal it was when it was alive needed to take a bath, but they NEVER washed the fur before makeing it into this COAT. Then I slipped on the ice and fell into a snow bank full of dirt and Poopie, so it realy smells FOOEY! when wet.

      The new guy has been stareing at me alot today. I think he think’s that I like him b/c Frank says that he want’s to take me out but he is way to young for me. Alan was a year younger then me and he was SO imature. Imagine me goeing out with this guy? I think he wants only to have sex with women at this stage of his life, and I do NOT want to be just a sexueal recepticel for him. I lived that once with Alan, and will NEVER let a man do that to me again. They can go buy a blow-up doll if that is all they want. DOUBEL FOOEY!

      Grandma Leyeh and Dad are comeing into the City tomorow and are takeing me out to Lunch. They said I can pick the place to celebrete my partnership. I am thinking about either the Palm 2, Morton’s, Smith and Lewinsky’s or Spark’s, and a nice thick juicy STEAK with Ohgrotten potatoe’s and Yummy Apple Pie for desert !!!! YAY!!!!!!!!!

    • S in Chicago

      I’m assuming you are somewhere cold right now. If so, have you thought about ordering all through Zappos and returning those that don’t make the cut? I did that when I was trying to find just the right coat and it was wonderful. The credit back on my card came in less than a week. Also, I know you’re a fan of Pataonia, but just wanted to add my props to the North Face arctic parka. It has seriosuly been so amazing at getting me through this horrid winter.

    • Anonymous

      6pm has the tres on a fairly serious discount in some colors. May be worth checking out!

  11. Who knows?

    Weird situation. I was in NY a few weeks ago and after walking around all day, there was an earring stuck in my boot. So random. I don’t think it’s a real diamond, but I am curious as to what exactly it is. Does anyone know where I could take it to find out? Would any jewelry store be able to tell?

    • AIMS

      Yes.
      As a flip side to your story I once lost a pearl and diamond earring somewhere between work and the subway. I always hoped someone nice would find it and make use of it (I turned my remaining one into a pendant), as opposed to it just finding its way into some sidewalk crack or drain pipe. You never know.

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