Coffee Break: A Satchel

139 Comments

1. Are peep-toe booties appropriate for work? Like the Vince Camuto Nissah bootie.

   I work in a business casual law firm, emphasis on the casual. For example, lots of male attorneys, including partners, wear golf polos with khakis.

   I have worn booties with tights in the winter, and no one gave a second look. It would be nice to be able to rock this style in the summer. Besides the fact that I like the style, I have a tattoo on my foot, and although I normally cover it with tattoo makeup, it’s a tedious routine. It would be nice to be able to wear shoes that cover it every once and awhile.

   1. The Vince Camuto Nissah: http://shop.nordstrom.com/s/vince-camuto-nissah-bootie/3607776?origin=PredictiveSearch-personalizedsort&contextualcategoryid=2375500&fashionColor=Black&resultback=0&cm_sp=personalizedsort-_-searchresults-_-1_1_B

      1. What are you wearing them with?
         If it’s pants, I would say that’s easier, but honestly I just wouldn’t. Something about it is just too fashion forward/evening. I can’t quite put my finger on it, but it’s definitely not in the same category as a golf polo and khakis.

      2. Ehhhhhhhh…they look too fashiony for the office for my taste. But actually they’re not my taste at all, so don’t listen to me. :)

      3. I’m in a polo/khakis business casual office. I’d wear them – I don’t see them as any riskier than than dressy sandals I see around my office in the summer. If they are a little edgy for your office you can always balance them with a more conservative outfit.

   2. I will not allow myself to buy peeptoe booties because I have bought them then I can’t figure out how to style them so, despite being really cool, I don’t wear them. Just my two cents.

   3. I would wear these at my business casual law office. There are a female attorneys (equity partner, senior associate) that wear shoes at this level of fashion-forwardness at my firm and no one cares.

      At most law offices, these would not work. If yours is similar to mine, go for it!

   4. Yay! Coffee Break’s! I love Kate Spade and this satchel, and it is onley $250. I am goeing to show my dad b/c I am tired of carrying my LIT bag everywhere I go. FOOEY! This seem’s to be big enough to carry alot of things, so mabye he will give me something else to carry that does NOT have my initals on it. To many guy’s try to guess my name b/c of my initals, and I am tired of telleing them to go away. I think they do not care as long as they get to talk to me, but I do not want to have to be some kind of legal amabasssodor just b/c I have a lit bag. DOUBEL FOOEY!

      As for the OP, no, you realy should NOT wear open toe shoe’s, even peep toe is VERBOTEN at my firm and the manageing partner has told me and Madeline that he does NOT care to see our toes. That is fine by me b/c in NYC, there is so much dog poop on the street that peep toe’s would turn into poop toes very quickley. As it is, I still have to scrape the poopie off the bottom of the shoe’s but I cant imagine how gross scrapeing off poopie would be from my toe’s!

      Harold caught me comeing out of the NYSC last nite, and now he want’s to go out for a bite to eat. I do NOT even think he is workeing but I do not want to P.O. the manageing partner if he finds out I gave Harold the heave-ho. I do not think I would date him even if he was workeing b/c he is so young and dumb. I think he had his skatebord under his arm, but I could not tell under the heavy coat he was wearing. He also needed a shave. Why is it that young guy’s don’t shave? Do they think women are attracted to that dirty look, or are they just trying to show they have hormone’s now that let them grow beard’s? FOOEY in any event b/c I would not want that dirty beard tickeling me. Harold also is baldeing and now has as much hair on his face as he has on his head! DOUBEL FOOEY!

      Also, who want’s to know what Harold ate for the last 3 days? I do NOT want to have to check his dirty beard to find out. He does NOT look like Charlston Heston in the 10 commandments. Otherwise, I might be attracted to that. YAY!!!!!!

   5. these would be fine in my office (govt attny state court)

   6. I find these types of booties awkward to style but think they’re fine for a casual office.

      Love this bag in the grey for spring.

   7. OP here. Thanks for your thoughts. I’m encouraged by the fact that most of the people saying they might be inappropriate think so because they are too fashion-forward. I regularly mix one trendier item in with an otherwise conservative outfit, so long as I am not meeting with clients, etc. So I don’t have a personal issue with that. I guess I was worried that they might be too sexy.

      Re styling, they look great with slim ankle pants (although I seem to remember ankle pants being a point of controversy on thissite before). I would also wear them with a pencil skirt and tailored top, like a collared button-up or cardigan. I think they would add fun edge to a conservative outfit.

      Thanks again!

      1. I think they are too sexy. Maybe I am old fashioned. But I went to a bar luncheon this past summer and one of the female attorneys was wearing similar shoes and it didn’t look good. I think you could style these to be really cute and not too much with, say, boyfriend jeans or a loose sun dress but none of these things are things I’d wear to work. I just can’t see this being a good look on 95% of people in the office with, for ex., a pencil skirt. It’s just too incongruent.

      2. Late to the comments here, but I love that shoe and to me, they don’t look sexier or more out there than many other summer sandals.

         1. They look less sexy than a lot of summer sandals because more of the foot is covered. They’d work in my (government, sciencey) office.

            Then again, I saw a woman this morning (young, 20s) wearing a white button-up shirt, gray tweed blazer, very nice black heels and…. black capri leggings. Sigh. But honestly, in some ways she looked better than the people who schlump around in ill-fitting khakis and polos. I don’t know what’s “correct” for office fashion any more.

      3. I can think of people this would look good on, and others that it would be too much. I think it depends on your style. And this is coming from someone who is staunchly against wearing summer sandals of any kind of the office.

         What kind of makeup do you put over your tattoo? I’ve got one on my foot that I’m in the process of having removed, and I’d love to be able to cover it in the meantime. I’d also love to kick 18-year old me in the toochus for tattooing the top of my foot.

         1. How’s the removal process going? I’ve been thinking about doing it forever but always come up with some excuse. I don’t hate my tattoo, it’s just become an inconvenience to have to cover it all the time at work so I think it might be worth it.

            To cover it I layer makeup. I start with a very light pink pencil–Benefit’s High Brow is the best in my opinion, because it goes on a little thicker. Then I use a good concealer–my favorite is the Make Up Forever brand’s liquid concealer. Then loose powder. Then a spray foundation. My favorite spray foundation to use is some $15 kind I get at Ulta. It works just as good as the really expensive ones and comes in even paler shades that work better on the pale skin on my feet.

            I know it sounds like a lot, but I’m telling you, you could stare at my foot and not see the black ink through it. I’ve got the routine down so it only takes 5-7 minutes. I do it before I do my face makeup so that it dries before I put a shoe on.

            1. Wow that sounds like a lot of work, but I’m totally impressed you can cover it. I’ve never been able to get the skin tone right.

               As for the laser removal, I’ve been twice now (appointments 6 weeks apart) and nothing has happened yet. Apparently after three sessions, you see a difference. It’s very painful, but my tattoo is so small that it’s over in 15 seconds, thankfully. I pay $75 per session, so the cost is spread out, which I like. I waited two years to take the plunge, and I wish I’d just started it back when I first thought about it. It would be gone by now. So that’s my advice. If you know you want it gone (and wow that makeup routine sounds like a pain) just get started on it because it’s a process.

               I used to work in an office where it didn’t matter, but started a new job in December where I am suddenly very aware of my foot. I’ve been wearing tights and booties all winter.

            2. I just started getting my tattoo removed, and had my first treatment about 5 days ago. The place where I went (dermatologist office) uses a pico laser, which is newer/better than the q-switch or the r-20 (which is I think the general standard). It’s much more expensive (starts at 300 per treatment) but I think it’s worth it if you can find/afford it because 1 – I’m being treated by a doctor which I prefer, and 2 (probably more compelling) – I am already seeing results. Nothing major, but the black lines around my image are already faded/thinner in some parts and the ink sort of looks like it’s “bleeding”, which I hope means that my body is carrying it away.

               I also think you should just at least go in for a consultation. I also really liked my tattoo but hated the placement of it since it restricted my wardrobe choices much more than I originally thought. I thought I would be sadder to see it go, but I’m super excited about not having to worry about hiding it anymore.

      4. Super late comment: I have a quick question to the commenters on the site in general. I read a lot of comments that include phrases like “if I’m not meeting with a client, then I’ll wear X.” My question is: how often do you have days where you don’t meet any clients at all? I find that there are only one or two days every month where I’m not meeting with (usually multiple) clients. I practice in a region where there aren’t a lot of young and female attorneys, so it’s often difficult for me to figure out what is and is not appropriate. I like a lot of the clothes featured here and in the comments, but I’m not sure whether they’re right for the kind of legal practice I have since I meet with clients everyday. Thoughts?

         1. I think you’ve got it right. Many attorneys very rarely meet with clients, especially young attorneys. If that’s not you, and the clients you meet with would expect you to be in court attire, or a formal suit, then you’re probably right that the clothes on here are not right for the practice you have.

2. Gahhhhh I just made myself a budget a few days ago. Curses. this bag is adorable. I even love the pink.

3. Sent 3 more job applications this weekend, but am still falling behind. Didn’t send any the week before because I was stressed and then my internet was down for 2 days. So, I’ve sent a total of 11, but I have about 8 more I think I should apply for.

   I’ve gotten one interview so far, but it’s for a position way below my level, so I’m going to do it anyway, but trying to not be discouraged by that. Sigh, I feel like I’ve kind of hit a wall, not as excited about progress right now and starting to feel tired of the process. But obviously I should just power through. ugh.

   ok, end rant. Baconpancakes, how’s it going?? get anything sent out this weekend? ;o)

   1. Congrats on the interview! That means that people are looking at your stuff and thinking you look like a good candidate. It’s encouraging even if it’s below your level! Plus, I feel like one out of eleven is a pretty good ratio (sad but true)!

      Def do the interview anyways. It’ll force you to prepare answers and practice and all that stuff, then you’ll be that much more prepared when you do find the perfect one. Good luck!

      1. Yes – a practice interview! Knock it out of the park.

   2. Good work on the 3 more applications! Don’t forget to try and connect personally if at all you can/have a connection that works there. From my personal experience job searching, that can make a huge difference to getting your application to the top of the pile.
      And go rock that lower level interview! Not only is it good practice, but sometimes job specs can be revised upwards, or they may think of you as the star candidate they should reach out to when a more senior role comes up.

      1. thanks! Yeah, I’m seeing it as practice. Since it’s the first interview I’ve had in about 4 years, so it’s good to get my interview muscles warmed up. ;o)

         I know networking is better, but unfortunately, I’m kind of moving out of my current sector into a different one, or even trying to figure out how to make a bigger change if I can, and because I’ve been in a tiny niche sector, I just don’t have any contacts in the sectors I want to move into. So, I don’t know how you do networking when you are changing careers. ;o\

         But thanks so much for the encouragement! I’ll let you know how it goes! ;o)

4. Someone please talk me out of this bag – I love it SO much but cannot justify another purse. Wow great find Reader A/Kat!

   1. Don’t do it!!!!! Step away from the “Put in Shopping Cart” Button! ;o)

      Kate Spade keeps stuff around for a while and people resell while they are still in good condition, so maybe give yourself a timeline: if you still want it in 6 months you can reconsider? And hopefully you’ll forget about it by then and you won’t get it? I sometimes find that easier than just telling myself “no”

      1. You’re right – you’re the best :)

         I’m resisting for now… but the next time I need a new work bag, all bets are off!

   2. I purchased the Kate Spade Gold Coast Marianne and the straps broke in less than 4 months…BEWARE :)

      Could’ve been an anomaly but it has certainly made me more gun-shy about KS purses.

      1. were you able to get it repaired/refunded?

      2. I’ve had the Gold Coast MaryAnne for 4 years and its still in perfect shape. I got it for free because the KS bag I bought 4.5 years ago turned colors and they took it back. So – it’s hit or miss but they are accountable for the misses.

   3. It doesn’t have a top zipper that encloses the whole thing, and that’s a dealbreaker for me because of the number of times my bag has been upside down and had stuff fall out of the compartments. Even with a zipper, it happens sometimes because I haven’t fully closed the zipper.
      To talk yourself out of it, imagine yourself rooting around on the floor to pick up a credit card or parking ticket or a lipstick that has rolled! :)
      Or, maybe this doesn’t apply since you’re not as clumsy as me!

   4. I love it too! Not in the budget, unfortunately.

5. Can I just say how shocked I am at how some people have no idea what is going on in the world? I work with someone who had no idea that a plane was missing, or that the Ukraine/Crimea/Russia conflict was going on.

   1. Ha, I had the opposite experience – I have a Russian coworker, and I asked him what his mom thought about the situation in Crimea (she still lives in Russia). He was shocked I was interested in the situation! Talking to him definitely made me understand the implications of certain sanctions- for example, he has a Russian passport and is here on a visa. He pretty much is afraid to leave the country because he might not get back in depending on how things go. But yeah, he was blown away that I even knew what was going on.

      1. Have to say…I would be pretty insulted if someone was “shocked” that I knew about the Russia/Crimea/Ukraine issue.

   2. Much like there is a “things your family does to annoy you” bingo, I think “sheer stupidity of the human race” bingo would be a fun game to play here.

      1. Sometimes when I tell people I grew up in Mexico, I get asked “oh, New Mexico?” And it’s not a question of them not hearing me the first time. I’ve also been asked, when telling people I lived in Mexico City, whether that’s in Mexico. Seriously??? Don’t get me started on people asking if I had electricity or being surprised that my friends in Mexico have things like malls and costco and take vacations.

         There was a survey a while back and a shocking number of people could not point to Canada or Mexico on a map, forget Iraq or Afghanistan (where we were at the time embroiled in wars).

         I would be surprised if even half of Americans knew what continent Ukraine is in, and SHOCKED if 10% knew where Crimea is. Can we please bring geography back to elementary/middle school?

         1. My 11th grade daughter mentioned that her Russian teacher is concerned because her in-laws are still in Crimea (or were until a few days ago). I told her that when I was her age, the only thing I knew about Crimea was that Florence Nightingale was a nurse in the Crimean War.

         2. I’m from New Mexico and I have the opposite problem – people say, “oh you speak good English!”

            1. ugh, that’s even worse actually, they don’t even know we have a state called New Mexico!

            2. Me too! I had a student loan company think the NM stood for North Mexico!

            3. Oh my god. I’m not sure I could stop my eyes from rolling back into my head if I were in that situation.

            4. I’ve had people who think “NE” stood for New England. And this was *in* New England, where the East Coast-centrism might lead them to not know that there is a state called Nebraska or that its postal code is NE (they usually think NB), but shouldn’t they know there is no state named New England?

            5. How is new England not a state? They have a football team!

         3. I met someone once who was from California but had spent the last few years working in Singapore, which he assumed I wouldn’t know where that was. Less than 2 minutes later, I mentioned I was from Oregon and he asked me if that was near Seattle. This conversation took place in California, you know, the state directly below Oregon and also the state where he grew up. I couldn’t believe it.

            In full disclosure, I do get some of the east coast states and various countries mixed up on a map but I can still get close and know the region at least.

      2. how is not paying attention to world news that doesnt interest you stupidity?

         1. Because global events have consequences that can affect us here, if for no other reason.

            1. A real live example – one of my guy’s friends was so stupid that when everybody was battening down the hatches in the days leading up to Tropical Storm Sandy, which hit the Northeast pretty hard, ultimately, he booked a last-minute flight out of Newark (NJ) airport on the day Sandy was supposed to hit.

               Mr. Stupid was angling for my guy to drop him off at the airport but we decided that if he was going to be stupid enough to endanger himself, he had no right to endanger or inconvenient others.

            2. Further to last – Mr. Stupid didn’t know what Tropical Storm Sandy was. Had no clue whatsoever there was going to be really tough weather. Because he didn’t read any newspaper, didn’t use TV or radio news, and never used the internet to look to see what was going on locally, regionally, nationally, and in the world. Ayup.

         2. it’s not really stupidity, it’s willful ignorance, which is worse.

            1. Haha, fair enough. Well said.

         3. Not being able to see that world news affects you is stupid.

            Not being interested in news is stupid.

      3. Someone once asked me whether I drove from the U.S. to visit my family in my European home country.

   3. This would shock me if I hadn’t recently read that 1 in 4 Americans thinks the sun revolves around the earth. And I used to think it was just a big staged joke when late night comedians polled people on the street about random questions and received crazy nonsensical answers…

      1. I once had a client who got into some trouble because she used the postal service to send a bunch of cash that got seized. In conversation it came up that she used USPS because she didn’t want to use Fed Ex because that “is the federal government, man, and I didn’t want them to know what I was doing!” True story.

   4. This is why I love living in DC. Most people around here are way over-educated and spend too much of their time memorizing current events. And I love it.

      1. Yeah, me too. I have found my people and they are geeks.

      2. Agreed!

6. I am dealing with the most emotionally draining client right now. She has some pretty severe mental health issues and is going through a divorce. I have represented her through settlement so there is a light at the end of the tunnel. I obviously can’t go into specifics but in her stress/emotion/mental illness she is now lashing out at me, then apologizing, and repeating. She is asking me to do things that are so far from in her best interest and then getting angry when I tell her why I can’t do them. Then she sees the light and agrees. This is so close to done and I can’t withdraw now. I also fear that she would go straight off the deep end if I tried to.

   It has just become such a huge time suck (even though she pays well) and is now causing me undue stress. My heart goes out to her. I can’t imagine being in her shoes. My usual techniques of client management are failing though. Trying to end a conversation to discuss it when she is less upset leads to her crying, begging, pleading, yelling for me to stay on the phone, that she is sorry, that she will be good, etc. It is so heartbreaking and infuriating at the same time. I have had to reach out to her doctor in the past, with good success when I was worried she was suicidal. She appreciated that. This is different though as I can’t say her disagreeing with me is mental illness. I’m doing all the professional risk management I can. Just cross your fingers for me that I get a speedy final decree and can close this file. And cross your fingers for her that closing this divorce and moving somewhere fresh will improve her mental health and she can enjoy life again.

   This is why I only take a few family law cases at a time. Thank God there are no kids involved. :(

   1. For anyone else dealing with this, I found this article helpful:

      http://www.isba.org/ibj/2012/12/handlingconfrontationalclients

   2. No advice, but that sounds like a nightmare. Kudos to you for being sensitive and kind.

7. Midlevel associate with a lateral interview tomorrow, and having one of the worst weeks of work in my career. The bad week has nothing to do with my mistakes, my workload, nor does it have anything to do with my reason for leaving (I’m leaving due to relocation to another city where my firm does not have an office), but I’m in emotional turmoil and afraid it will come out in the interview as either bitterness or dissatisfaction with my job (neither is true). The real issue is that a beloved client is going under/winding up, co-counsel did something stupid in another case that really affects my client, and I am begging a judge to forgive my junior associate’s mistake in a case (completely disobeyed my instructions, ugh, the partner is on him for it but that doesn’t make us any less screwed). Does anyone have any advice on how to set all of this aside to portray positivity tomorrow morning?

   1. If you can, take some time for yourself tonight and do something that helps you clear your mind-go for a run, take a bath, listen to calming music, talk to your best friend about nothing, meditate, do yoga, go to bed early. Do whatever you need to release the stress and get out of your head. Turn off your work phone and don’t turn it back on until after the interview. Then, tomorrow morning, take a deep breath and remember to smile.

8. Cute bag! I am loving the Chloe Alison purse ( http://www.neimanmarcus.com/Chloe-Alison-Small-Tote-Bag-Cashmere-Gray/prod162970369/p.prod?eVar4=You%20May%20Also%20Like ). What I am not loving is the price tag!

9. I hate it when women baby their SOs, so I really hope that’s not what I’m doing here… BUT. My bf never remembers to bring snacks to his office, and often forgets to eat lunch, which I’m afraid is really bad for his health/energy. Don’t have a specific special occasion in mind, but I was thinking about surprising him with some kind of snack supply for his office… ideally I’d divide portions up into ziplock baggies if applicable. I’d like there to be as much variety as possible, but it’s also important that the items be fairly healthy and not just empty calories. Here’s what I have so far:

   Granola bars of varying kinds
   Fruit leather? Or is this pretty much like eating pure sugar?
   A jar of peanut butter along with a box of disposable knives/paper plates (washing things is a problem in his office), and a loaf of bread
   Trail mix, in individual portions

   He doesn’t have a fridge so it has to be non-perishable. Any other ideas?

   1. This is totally babying him. You are not his mom.

      Step away from the healthy snacks. He’s a big boy. He’ll eat when he’s hungry.

      1. you’re so right, thanks for the reality check :) I might encourage him to stock up on granola bars next time we’re at the grocery store, but beyond that I think you’re right that it’s his problem.

         1. Hmm, I’m not convinced it’s babying *if* he reciprocates with thoughtful gestures. If it goes both ways, I think it’s just being supportive and relying on each others’ strengths.

      2. I agree with Senior Attorney.

      3. Okay, went back and re-read and saw that this is a one-time surprise gift and that you didn’t ask for advice, but rather suggestions.

         My advice is watch out for the granola bars, fruit leather, and trail mix. If you’re not super careful with reading the labels it’s pretty much the same nutritionally as eating candy.

         Protein bars might be good. My fave is called Pure Protein bars and I get them at Costco or Target. I keep a box in my desk drawer at work and it’s good because they last a long time and don’t make a mess.

         1. Heh. But yeah, best to stay out of it. ;)

         2. great suggestion, thanks! might just send him a link and suggest he buy them next time he’s buying stuff on amazon.

      4. +1. If anything, next time you two are in a grocery store together, you could (nicely and in a non-nagging way) suggest that he pick up a box of granola bars and take them to his office. Even that might be too much.

   2. Oh for the love of god stop right now. He can buy his own snacks or you can deal with the fact that you are dating a man who isn’t capable of feeding himself.

      1. ok, even though this was needlessly snarky, I LOL’d. Sometimes when he tells me he hasn’t eaten lunch, I have ZERO sympathy and wonder how he’s gotten this far in life….

         1. In all seriousness, some people have an irregular appetite and don’t/can’t eat meals on schedule.

            1. Yeah, my boyfriend is like this. I think it’s odd because I’m hungry every 3 hours like clockwork, but he’s a functioning adult who very much has his sh*t together… so whatever works.

            2. My husband is like that, too. I’m the sort who absolutely cannot skip meals, but if he’s busy, he won’t even think about eating breakfast or lunch (or snacks) and then just eat a big dinner. I don’t know that it’s harmful to him; he seems healthy enough. I would pass out by 11:00 am, though.

            3. Sometimes I skip meals if I’m busy and not hungry. When I’m hungry, I’ll go find something to eat, as I am a grown woman. Don’t feel bad for us. :)

      2. Meh, my partner bought me office snacks (a nice selection of healthy-and-tasty) when I missed lunch for something like the fifth day in a row. It was really, really nice and I appreciated his thoughtfulness and he in turn appreciated my ability to still function at the end of the day because I had eaten something and not nothing.

   3. If he forgets to eat lunch and never brings snacks, I wouldn’t send him to work with a jar of peanut butter and trail mix in Ziploc bags.

      If you are adamant about doing something, send him naturebox or graze or one of those other snack boxes directly to his office.

   4. Instead of providing him snack packs like in he’s in preschool (I kid, I kid), get him a subscription to NatureBox. It’s like Birchbox, but with healthy, non-perishable snacks. I just got my first shipment a few weeks ago and the food was legitimately good.

   5. I picture my husband, while we were dating, walking in to his office on Monday morning with a giant box of snacks in little baggies, and all the guys asking him if he brought snacks for everybody…

      Otherwise – beef jerky?

   6. I think this is sweet and would appreciate one for my office. This isn’t you packing his lunch and snacks daily and on an on-going basis. This is just basically an emergency kit of food for the office. I love it.

      1. I think it’s nice, too, actually. My BF has way too much stuff, clothing, electronics, etc., so I think a gift of healthy snacks would be a great idea. I mean, I wouldn’t pack a snack for him every day, but a one-time thing? I sort of view it like him giving you a box of chocolates or flowers or something.

         Beef or turkey jerky is good. There is also this brand of almonds (Emerald? They come in green canisters at the grocery store) that come in plain, salted, cinnamon, and cocoa-dusted flavors. My BF tries to do low-carb, so nuts are a big thing for him and the cocoa-dusted ones also give a little bit of “sweet” without too much sugar.

   7. A few weeks ago somebody in the hive recommended Graze boxes for good snacks. I tried it out after that recommendation and my BF and I have become big fans. It’s a once-weekly (or you can opt for less frequently) delivery of a few different snack items. You can set preferences for low calorie options, gluten free, etc.

      Could you gift him a subscription and set them to ship to his office? Then he will have a few good snacks each week and it will seem more like a gift and less motherly since you won’t be bagging the snacks for him, etc.

      1. yeah I love this idea, definitely gonna look into it- thanks!

   8. I think this is babying him too, but I also think it ok to do this every now and then for a SO. (My husband often makes me coffee in the morning, which I really appreciate.)

      Other ideas: single serve hummus in the little cups that don’t have to be refrigerated along with pita chips or crackers, wasabi peas, canned tuna/packets of mayo and relish/crackers, applesauce in the little cups, good protein bars.

      1. Costco is the best for those little servings off hummus! They also have little single serving goat cheese – so good!

         1. My kids love those chummus packets but I think they do need to be refrigerated.

            1. Amazon sells a brand that doesn’t need refrigeration.

            2. Wild Garden’s tetra packs don’t require refrigeration.

   9. I make up baggies of veggies for myself every Sunday (realistically, more like every third Sunday) and after he started stealing mine, I started making enough for him, too. So, we just grab them from the fridge when we leave in the morning, and they don’t need to be refrigerated at work. I usually have sliced bell peppers, celery, and carrots, plus anything else that’s on sale. It drove me crazy when he started stealing them, because he wouldn’t eat the celery, so not only was he taking my veggies, he was throwing away my delicious celery! Now I make half the baggies with celery and half without, which still drives me a little crazy, since celery is cheap and bell peppers are not, but these are the sacrifices we make…

   10. I agree that if you feel like you need to do this because he needs it, take a step back and let him be a big boy. On the other hand, I think if you are just wanting to do something nice for him, this is a very sweet idea. I would consider whole grain crackers instead of bread to go with the PB – they’ll stay good longer. You could also get him individual things of unsweetened applesauce or fruit cups packed in water if he’d eat them, and small packages of almonds are a favorite office snack of mine.

   11. I think pre-packaging snack bags of goldfish is too babying, but adding granola bars to your shopping list and suggesting he bring a box to eat at work when he gets hangry is fine.

       1. My husband likes Go Picnic boxes for emergency lunches.

   12. This is a bit babying, but then again, I do something similar for my hubs. He’s a teacher, so he doesn’t keep anything at his desk (heavens, he’d probably forget it was there and then it would be petrified!). Instead, we bought a bunch of healthy snack foods that don’t need to be in the fridge, put them in a big bowl near his keys/wallet, and most mornings, he takes one or two on his way out the door. It’s worked so far (before, he wouldn’t eat anything for most of the day, then almost eat my arm when I’d be preparing dinner — and wonder why!)

   13. I think it’s a nice idea, and might try it myself because my husband’s eating habits are awful!

       I worked on a construction site while pregnant, so I know basically all the healthy-ish prepackaged snack foods….

       Trader Joe’s “Just a Handful” of various nuts and trek mix. They are already portioned into little baggies so no work.
       If washing dishes is a problem, Justin’s nut butter in individual packets are great. The maple flavor is delish.
       Fruit leather isn’t great, sugar-wise, but it isn’t terribly high in calories so I feel like it’s a good shelf stable alternative to fresh fruit for something to keep in your desk in a pinch.
       Granola, Clif, protein, etc. type bars in are no better than candy bars in calories/fat, but most at least have protein and nutrients added in, and are fine as long as they are used as an actual meal replacement.

   14. My husband keeps nuts and chocolate in the office but sometimes runs out and forgets to bring in replenishments for days. I often put them in his car in the evening, because carrying stuff from the car to the office is a smaller leap than bringing it from the kitchen into the garage.
       And please, please, no little baggies. Trader Joe’s has multi-snack packs of almonds and trail mix – just get him those + 2-3 bananas at a time. The suggestion for beef jerky is also great.

   15. Trail mix! I use cashews, chocolate covered raisins, cranberries, seeds, and a bit of sweets. I make a big batch every two or three weeks and send them with my other half to the office. Don’t put dried apricots, they’ll make everything go mushy.

       I don’t think it is babying if it is balanced out. I like knowing he has healthy food (I also pack our lunches every morning). He likes knowing I’m all set for the day, so fills up my thermos with tea, makes sure my phone is charged, and throws my laptop in my bag if it has been charging.

10. Just a little rant here. Our receptionist’s mother died yesterday so she’s going to be gone for two weeks dealing with that (her mother lived on the other side of the country). I feel bad for her – I can’t imagine losing a parent. I know she doesn’t have many friends and family here. I left her a card stating that I was sorry to hear about her mother and that if there was anything I could help with to please let me know. And that if she needed someone to watch her dog I was available to do so. She came and thanked me for the card and the offer but that one of our co-workers had already offered to watch the dog and that she’s already agreed to that. Okay, that’s great, dog has a place to stay for two weeks.

    Fast forward to lunch time, a whole group of us went out to lunch, and the person that offered to watch the dog says “Uhhh, I can’t believe I have to watch so and so’s dog while she’s gone, it’s going to be such a drag”. “It’s probably going to chew up my stuff”. “I already have to cover her for some of her responsibilities while she is out of town”.

    Wow, way to have some compassion b*itch. If you don’t want to watch someone’s pet while they’re out of town attending their mother’s funeral than don’t offer. It just really pissed me off. Would you have said anything in this situation or just sat back? I wanted to tell her exactly what I thought of her statements but I didn’t because I’ve only been at this company for a short while and I definitely don’t need to make rifts.

    1. I wouldn’t have said anything. Just let her suck as a person all on her own.

       1. I tend to think maybe she sucks a tiny bit less than all the people who are NOT taking care of the dog.

          Just sayin’.

          1. Including people who can’t take care of the dog because they are allergic? Or rent apartments where pets are not allowed?

             Just sayin’, don’t volunteer to do something and then publicly b*tch about it. That’s what makes her suck.

             1. This is what pissed me off about it. Don’t volunteer to help her out and then behind her back complain to other co-workers about what a pain it will be. If you don’t want to do it….DON’T.

          2. I’d rather have somebody take care of my dog and complain about it than have nobody take care of my dog, regardless of how good the excuses of the non-taker-carers-of were. I get that the taker-carer isn’t being super gracious, but she’s stepping up and to me that’s worth a lot,

             1. Um, allergies and potential eviction aren’t exactly excuses. They are legitimate circumstances that would preclude someone from caring for an animal for two weeks.

             2. Um, yes. But I would still rather have my dog taken care of than not, complaints or no.

             3. Kennels exist for a reason. Just because someone isn’t capable of taking care of another person’s dog doesn’t mean they are a bad person.

    2. Wow that’s pretty heartless. One thing that concerns me is that if she thinks the dog is such a bummer, will she properly care for it? If you really are willing you could offer to split the time with her maybe, and say something about how you really love dogs so you’d be happy to (so she doesn’t get defensive)?

       1. She actually loves dogs (surprising by her statements) and I think she’ll take good care of it. I did offer to take the dog for half the time if she thought it would be too overwhelming and she said no, it’s okay. I told her that the offer still stands and to let me know if she changes her mind.

          1. Maybe she doesn’t want people to think she’s a sucker so she’s putting on the b*tch act? Doesn’t make sense, but.

             1. Or she’s just one of those people who needs something to complain about.

             2. I agree with Ginjury – she’s probably just complaining to complain, or maybe she’s one of those people who complains so much that everything that she says comes out as a complaint when she really didn’t mean it to, or she’s just trying to be funny or off-handed and it came out completely wrong. I agree it’s coldhearted, but I’d give her the benefit of the doubt that she didn’t mean it to be.

             3. My guess is that she just wanted to make sure everyone knew what a “selfless” deed she was doing and have the group tell her what a wonderful person she was for helping the receptionist.

                It’s wonderful that she loves dogs and will take care of the little guy/girl while his human is away, but if I was in this situation I could do without her need for validation that it is indeed wonderful.

    3. wow that is definitely worth a rant. That is terrible. So sad for Coworker that she has it SO ROUGH that she has to watch a dog while another person goes to their Mother’s. Funeral. ugh. Some people.

       I am not good at keeping my mouth shut, so I probably would have jumped in and said “wow, if it’s such a problem for you, I’m happy to take the dog. Does that help?”

       But I also think not saying anything and letting this person’s a$$holeness speak for itself is perfectly valid. I’m sorry you have to deal with this. And very sorry for your coworker who lost her Mom, so sad.

    4. Thanks all for the responses. I won’t go out of my way to interact with this lady anymore. I don’t have to work with her as part of my position.

    5. I have also since learned that she is the type that will insist on paying for the group’s lunch and then she judges the people who do not say “no, no, please let me pay”. Note to my co-workers: If you insist on paying for my lunch I will not tackle you for the check. If you judge me for not tackling you for the check then I will not go to lunch with you anymore, that simple. Sounds like this lady needs a lesson in “do not offer to do things that you don’t want to do”. At this point I think she’s a passive aggressive bi*tch.

       1. hee hee

          Not really related, but reminds me of a former coworker who always insisted on paying for lunch/secretary gifts/drinks at happy hour. I always thought it was so weird because we were at the same level, so she didn’t make more than I did or anything (I know she didn’t, and that wouldn’t make it not weird anyways) AND she was always complaining about being terrible at managing her money, having to make her student loan payments, etc etc.

11. I wonder if its a sign of Spring here in the Northeast?

    A guy I used to date last Spring called me last week looking to tend my lady garden. It’s been a long, cold winter and now that the frost is over, I would appreciate a little tilling, but I am not sure I want him doing the gardeining again, as he proved useless when it came last year to the harvest season. Any ideas, ladies?

    1. When you take garden analogies waaaaaaaaay too far.

       1. I think Tenley might be one of Ellen’s friends, not sure.

          1. I also assumed it was a troll. That said, the garden metaphors have grown quite tiresome.

    2. wut

    3. Tell him to plant his seeds somewhere else.

    4. He was “useless” before? I wouldn’t see the point.

    5. Tell him it’s grown into a brier patch?

    6. Wouldn’t harvest season imply giving birth?

12. Ugh, stupid snow. I am so over it.

    I was supposed to have an interview yesterday. Took the day off (which was then futile since office closed due to snow) only to have the interview cancelled. I emailed this morning but haven’t hear anything about rescheduling and now I’m freaking out that they don’t want to bring me in anymore :-/.

13. I have also since learned that she is the type that will insist on paying for the group’s lunch and then she judges the people who do not say “no, no, please let me pay”. Note to my co-workers: If you insist on paying for my lunch I will not tackle you for the check. If you judge me for not tackling you for the check then I will not go to lunch with you anymore, that simple. Sounds like this lady needs a lesson in “do not offer to do things that you don’t want to do”. At this point I think she’s a passive aggressive bi*tch.

14. I am not judging, and I know my office is business (very) casual, but it’s just that I never thought I’d see what I just saw… a co-worker leaving for the day in a banana yellow, shiny, cropped puffer jacket. Am I hopelessly old in that I did not realize this is supposed to be a stylish look?

    1. After this long of a winter, I’ll allow whatever people need to go back out into the snow.

       1. This. I’m thinking of having a bonfire for my winter gear if it ever ends. I would kill for something bright colored and happy looking right now.

    2. Why does it have to be stylish? Maybe it makes her happy.

15. Rant: due to personality conflicts / drama above my pay grade, my support staff is getting reassigned almost seasonally and with no real notice /input. I cannot say how disruptive this is do keeping the business afloat and my customers taken care of. Can I just win the lottery and be done with this (and enough $ that I can be candid on my way out)? Working is hard without catching all the (stuff) that rolls downhill at me.

16. I already feel like more of a business woman just by looking at that satchel.

17. Eeee! So excited to see my rec made the page. I’ve had this bag for a few weeks now and it’s working out beautifully. Still highly recommend. (Also, it does have a top zip that closes the whole thing. It’s not a perfect closure like a barrel satchel or something, but it mostly gets the job done.

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