Frugal Friday’s TPS Report: High Waist Wrap-Look Pencil Skirt

108 Comments

1. Instant but quick TJ – what nail color would you wear with a hot pink lace number? I feel like red is too much, it’s summer so black/darks are out…what’s a good neutral?

   1. French, light creamy pink, not sure why darks are out, I would definitely wear a nice dark cherry or a black-red.

   2. Conservative choice – sheer pink or nude
      Colorful choice – punchy orange or a light blue or mint
      High-contrast but still summery – navy (Essie has one called Schoolboy Blazer or something that I like)

      1. +1 to all of this

         I think a bright orange would look awesome personally.

      2. would LOVE navy with bright pink

   3. I have a shiny white polish called pearl that might be a nice choice.

   4. Gold.

   5. Gold.

   6. Love all of these suggestions, thanks!! I am going to test out a few tonight.

   7. I’d do burgundy, I think, but I’m on a pretty serious burgundy kick and have decided it goes with everything (in my wardrobe anyway).

      1. I also like it very much with some pinks.

   8. This might not be popular but either full white nails, or yellow nails but use 1 coat of white nail polish as base to make the color pop.

   9. I prefer only one flashy element per outfit, so I’d do beige. My favorite is Essie Sand Tropez.

      1. +1 for Sand Tropez. I’ve got it on my toes now, and I love it. Lots of compliments!

   10. Not a neutral but I would love mint or turquoise. You could wear accessories in the same colour.

       Conservative choice is pale pink.

2. It’s PRIDE this weekend for those of us in DC! I don’t know about you guys, but I’m attending in all my bi-prided glory (and glitter, of course).

   1. My pup and I will be there, sending good vibes and rainbows! Just too bad that we don’t have a favorable SCOTUS decision to add to the joy – but oh well, hopefully an excuse for 2 parties, right?

   2. Have to work this weekend so I’ll be cursing the traffic. Have fun for me.

3. Yay! Fruegel Friday’s! I love Fruegel Friday’s and this $35 Limited pencil skirt. I do not like high waste dresses b/c I tend to look shorter, but I think that for $35, I could look cute.

   Thank’s to the HIVE for waying in on my dilemna–I think I WILL become a mentor to the judge’s grandneice. The manageing partner want’s me to take her out to lunch with a cleint so that I can bill the lunch to the cleint. He also offered to put her on the payroll as a summer assistant, where she can learn the WC law FIRST-HAND from me and the manageing partner. If she is interested in Tax, she can go see Madeline, and if she want’s trust’s and extates, she can go to Bill and his associate, and if she want’s Corporeate, there is Bill and his team. But for now, since the judge requested ME, I will have her focus on WC. She is to start on Monday–I have NOT met her yet, but I am EXCITED about it!!! YAY!!!!!

   This weekend, I am going to read up on this. I have been researching Marie Claire for stuff that talks about this kind of thing. I think the HIVE should all be mentor’s — we kind of are already– here is an example:

   http://www.marieclaire.co.uk/blogs/546465/is-this-your-new-career-mentor.html

   But anyway, I think that I can teach her alot about the law. After all, when I was her age, I was onley a young college grad fresh out of school, and I needed more direction. Most peeople did NOT even care, and the men that wanted to help were realy more interested in having a releationship with me that was limited to sex. FOOEY on that I said. So now, I can do far more for the NEXT genereation of women profesionals by starting her off on the RIGHT foot, and showing her that she can use her MIND to get ahead, and NOT to let men bamboozel her into letting them have their way with her body sexueally. DOUBEL FOOEY on that!

   I am sure the judge will appreciate it that I teach her these things NOW, b/f she goe’s to law school! YAY!!!!!

4. Is anyone into photography? I’m borrowing a DSLR camera and playing around with it to see if it’s worth the investment for me. If anyone has any resources they would recommend for learning how to take great photos I would love to hear about them!

   1. I would highly recommend SLR Lounge’s Photography 101. I shelled out for several in-person classes and didn’t learn half as much as I did in their videos.

      I’m actually very into photography now, and think it’s an outstanding foundation. All their courses I’ve taken are really great. That said if you’re not comfortable playing with settings and such it also might be helpful to take one in-person class to have a real person help with hands-on.

   2. I found youtube really helpful for learning how to find different controls- search for your camera model and the function you are looking for and there will probably be a short video of someone with your camera to show you how to adjust that function, and what that does.

      But a lot of what goes into taking great photos is the result of composition choices. For information about that, I’d suggest going to your local library and looking through their collection. Even old books about film photography (film, what’s that?) will have solid information about the film speed/ shutter speed / aperture triangle (think- the good/cheap/fast triangle- you have to make tradeoffs), basic lighting information, and how to compose the image.

      If you are looking for online resources, I’d suggest Digital Photography School. They have lots of good tips.

      Enjoy!

   3. I’d google “how to take awful photographs” because it better illustrates things. This is a bit of a gem, but my favorites are when street signs come out of people’s heads.

      http://www.adorama.com/alc/0014129/article/9-Awful-Real-Estate-Listing-Photos-And-How-To-Avoid-Taking-Them

   4. The Great Courses has a series from Joel Sartore (one of my fave Nat Geographic photogs) on basic photography. Worth it!

   5. Thank you, these are all great tips! I’ve been getting overwhelmed by the sheer volume of stuff that comes up in a google search, so personal recommendations are really helpful.

   6. When I was young, I had a photography teacher who used to say the best way to become a good photographer is to look at good photography. He recommended regularly looking at National Geographic. This was back in the 1980s. Now, there are so many blogs and instagrams with great photography you can browse. Understanding photo composition and how to use the settings on your camera are also important, but once you understand the basics of those, recognizing and studying good photography (and practice, practice, practice) is the best way to improve your photo skills.

5. I think my pill is making me super bloated – I look like I could be 3 months pregnant. Any advice on how to cut the bloat?

   Thanks ladies!

   1. I would call your doc and see if you can get on another pill if you don’t like this one’s side effects, otherwise I am not sure there is much you can do.

   2. Drink a lot of water. Our bodies need WAY more water than you think. Your body will hold onto all fluids until it gets more than it needs. When you get to that point, you’ll start to un-bloat. I drink, and highly recommend, drinking a gallon a day. (Gasp, I know). But I do it this way…32 oz before I get out the door in the morning, 48 oz between breakfast and lunch, 48 oz between lunch and dinner, then nothing after that (don’t want to have to get up more than once per night).

      1. Wow, you drink a lot of water. I drink about 80 oz/day. My urologist was shocked, and assured me I could drink a lot less if I was bothered by how frequently I need to urinate.

      2. How often do you have to go to the bathroom? (serious question)

      3. No, our bodies do not need this much water. You are misinformed.

         1. +1

            I agree. This much water is actually risky for some. I’d probably develop hypnatremia!

            I would be peeing at least every hour. Who has the time?

            1. I go a lot during the day. At least once an hour but that slows down in the evening. It’s not an issue for me…unless I’m wearing uncomfortable shoes!

               I am also extremely active (Crossfit at least 5 days a week) so I sweat a lot. I know what my body needs. I’m not misinformed. For someone of my height/weight/activity level, it’s perfectly fine.

6. Several years ago at a former employer I committed a major faux pas and engaged in some heavy flirting with a coworker on the company chat system. There’s no excuse and I regret it deeply. The background is that I was going through issues with my SO and enjoyed the attention, and this type of unprofessional behavior was common in that environment. The talking was only for a few weeks and never went much beyond things like, “your skirt is distracting”, you look stunning”, “I shouldn’t like talking to you this much” types of things. There was never any talk of or the occurrence of going further or becoming physical. Coworker and I were, and remain, friends. I would describe it as a crush, no real feelings were involved.

   Fast forward and the company has offered me a position. I feel I dodged a bullet by leaving and not having my mistake come to light. Going back would be a terrible idea under the circumstances, right? Even though it was years ago I am horribly embarrassed. Please tell me I’m not the only one who has done something so stupid!

   1. Irregardeless of what you did year’s ago, you have grown up, and you should NOT turn down a position there, unless you are worried that the guy you were flirting with on the chat system is in a position of POWER now, and that he will expect you do do MORE then chat with him b/c he is now responsibel for hireing you! What you did was dum, but you are older and presumeabley wiser. Go for the job if it is that good.

      I never did anything like this, but my freind Jill once did some things with men at a summer internship that she regretted, and the year later, she was offered a permanent job by one of the guy’s at the firm she had done stuff with as a summer intern. She DID take the job, and it did NOT affect her. The guy did NOT even look at her once she came on as a full time associate. Mabye that was b/c there were other young women to have sex with but it did NOT hurt her at all @ work. After 3 year’s she got married to another partner and now is doing the mommy thing @ home in Reston VA. YAY!!!!!!

   2. Do you have an idea what is the files’ retention policy for your company?
      If this happened over 5 years ago, maybe there is no proof as all electronic records were erased as part of housekeeping. Also, when you are hired again, I guess you get a do over. If I were a raunchy kid in undergrad then went to work and came back from grad school, I don’t expect my alma mater to refer to my past. I guess the same would apply to work (and most of the team won’t probably remember).

      1. They keep everything forever.

         1. Oh God hahah, then I need to be more careful… the amount of gossiping I did on Lync could send me to dark places.

            1. For reals.

   3. I very much doubt that if nothing came of this years ago, that anything would find its way out of the woodwork now. IT folks have way too much to do to bother reading reams of chat logs from years ago in the hopes of finding something juicy – and here we’re just talking about a few weeks of inappropriate chats between peers? Move forward with the company if it’s where you want to work (if you didn’t like the unprofessional behavior before, has that changed?) but don’t avoid it because you’re embarrassed at your past actions.

      1. This. No one is reading those chat logs unless your employer gets sued and they have to be produced. And even then only the doc review attorneys will be reading it as it’s likely not germane to anything in whatever law suit that would be. As long as you are able to remain professional with this same co-worker moving forward, I don’t see any reason not to explore this job opportunity.

         1. I’m deep into a review of chat logs right now. Mostly boring but I actually like reading the few that have flirting. I honestly don’t think any of it filters back up to the company because it is so off topic from what we are looking for.

            1. I always looked for juicy stuff when I was doing doc review, but only for my own personal entertainment!!

   4. Honestly, the sheer fact that you got an offer tends to indicate that they don’t know about it, and it seems unlikely they would go looking for it now.

   5. I am shocked that everyone thinks this is OK. I am so ashamed! Does it change your opinion if my SO works at the same company? I think I’m more concerned with how it would affect him than me…

      1. Does your SO know it happened? Will your flirting coworker tell him (does he even care)?

         1. SO doesn’t know, I have considered telling him but think would maybe be selfish of me. I would feel better and he would feel worse. Coworker hasn’t told him and I see no reason why he would, and he could do that whether or not I go back.

      2. If you weren’t in each other’s chain of command (i.e., neither of you could fire the other or have any impact on each other’s pay, assignments, etc.) and if your flirting didn’t disrupt work (your productivity didn’t plummet, you weren’t caught doing it in the supply closet), then no one on earth cares. This kind of stuff happens everywhere. It’s really not a big deal at all.

      3. Is there more to the story? Do you have concerns about interacting with co-workers in this environment again?

         Based on what you’ve said, it sounds like you are kind of blowing the previous events out of proportion. It was a crush, with some flirting, that is over and done with, yes? You have no concern about repeating the behavior you cited? People make mistakes, and then learn from them. Sure, you might be embarrassed about a lack of judgement a number of years ago, but unless there is more to it, I don’t know it really warrants the level of concern you are attributing to it.

         1. The only thing more to the story is that SO works there and I know it would be embarrassing for him if it came out, as he and coworker are friendly. There is absolutely no danger of this happening again, and I would not be working with coworker, who I still speak wig on an infrequent basis. My only concern is for my SO, and I think you all are probably right that I am feeling guilty about that. Should I tell him and clear the air before accepting the position? Or let sleeping dogs lie?

            1. Honestly, if my husband had a short flirtation with a coworker that went nowhere and happened several years ago and brought it up now, I would be more upset that he was making a thing of it now than I would be about the actual flirtation. Let it go!

            2. Do not bring this up to your SO. Why would you at this point? If you were going to tell your SO that you were flirting with someone else, the time would have been when it happened. There is nothing to be gained from telling him and all you did was flirt a bit.

               The chances of anyone at your company digging into past chat logs to find this and then exposing you to your SO at work is so slim that it’s basically nil.

      4. I think you are maybe feeling a little guilty about it and so it seems like a huge deal in your world. But, from the outside looking in, what you’ve described sounds mild. Like most others have said, I would pursue the opportunity if it is something you want and not worry about the past chats.

      5. No one is saying its ok- you have 2 issues going on. 1) is using the company chat log for flirting. No one is saying its “OK” we are saying that your company doesn’t care. They are offering you a job and no one is going through old logs to find dirt. 2) Is that you feel you crossed a line that you shouldn’t have emotionally in your relationship with your SO- you didn’t quite cheat but you wouldn’t want your SO to know about it. I think that if its going to hang over your head if you go back there, you can pass on the job but going back or not doesn’t erase the chats. If you feel like you’d be tempted by this coworker again it might be reason to pass it up, but you need to weigh the pros and cons of taking the position just like you would with any job offer. Is it a better job than the one you have now? Do you like the one you have now? Do you want to work the same place as your SO? etc

         1. what cc said

      6. Hmmm, I’d be more concerned about working at the same company as my SO. Not sure of your level at the company or professional interaction with him/her but that could go badly if you split up or even if you don’t (favoritism claims, things like that, putting aside the flirty coworker).

      7. My god, woman, you’re in a relationship, not dead! Flirting is fine. Having a crush is fine. As long as you don’t act on it (and you said you didn’t, didn’t even intimate that anything more might happen, didn’t lead anyone on, and don’t have any lingering weirdness with the friend), you should cut yourself a break.

      8. Oh, you just answered my question. You just want the drama.

         Get yourself together. Do what you want to do, with the job and with life.

         You are in control of you. You are responsible for yourself. You can either make that a good thing or a bad thing. Or, I suppose, a dramatic thing.

   6. Those chats are not likely to come out. That they offered you a job shows that they have no idea. Are you concerned about working in proximity to co-worker again? If not, take the job.

   7. Huh? Why are you even thinking about this? Literally nobody would care even if it did come to light somehow.

   8. Late to the party, but had to comment.

      Crushes happen. Flirtations happen. Being partnered (even being happily partnered, but especially being somewhat-unhappily-partnered, as you were at the time of your flirtation) does not render you immune to finding other humans attractive, or to wanting confirmation that other humans still find you attractive.

      I would bet money that the vast majority of long-term couples have the sort of glancing flirtation you’re describing somewhere in their past. I’ve done it. I’m pretty sure my husband has done it (although I appreciate the lack of confirmation, because our relationship is good and I don’t want to deal with crush-ghosts from the past at this point in our lives). If you’re feeling so troubled by this that you’re contemplating turning down what sounds like an otherwise ideal job opportunity, you should think about finding yourself a therapist to talk this out with – the level of guilt/paranoia you’re expressing is completely disproportionate to what it sounds like happened, especially given that it was a long time ago and that your relationship with your SO has apparently recovered from the rough patch that caused it.

      Forgive yourself and focus on being a good partner in the now, instead of worrying about your past behavior.

      1. The phrase “crush-ghosts” made me LOL. But I completely agree with the sentiment. Unless my husband cheated or was in a really involved emotional affair (note: shallow chat flirting does not qualify) I would not want to know.

      2. Seriously, my husband is a huge flirt, and it means nothing, and most women realize that when they interact with him. On the few occasions I’ve gotten the vibe that the other party is taking him seriously I let him know and he immediately stops. Its just harmless fun.

   9. Am I missing something? I assume you just enjoy conjuring up drama. Get a hobby.

7. Have any attorneys here used a career counselor? Has it been helpful? Are there any who will counsel over email/phone/Skype?

   Mostly asking for a friend, an attorney who has been out for about eight years and needs some guidance.

   1. The partners at my firm swear by Julie Fleming. She wrote “The Reluctant Rainmaker.” We’re on the smaller side of Big Law. She does remote counseling.

   2. I have used Amy Lindgren @ Prototype Career Service in St. Paul at a couple key times in my career and found the unbiased help really useful. She also writes a column for the Pioneer Press and is often on MN Public Radio. Their website is stuck in the 90’s but they do offer phone counseling.

   3. I used one who was recommended by the California State Bar, and it was a complete waste of time.

8. I’m looking for a good replacement for my Lo and Sons Brookline bag. I have the older version that has a trapezoidal shape instead of the blocky rectangular one they have now. I love it because it outwardly looked like a woman’s tote, but inside had all the pockets that a normal laptop bag would have. But I think the new design looks like just another laptop bag. Any suggestions?

   Some must-haves: sleeve to slide it onto my suitcase handle, pocket for laptop, front pocket separate from main body, some water resistance, under $400

   Thanks!

9. I’m looking for a fun title for a cycling newsletter to send to my friends and family to let them know about my commitment to raise money for leukemia and lymphoma research by training and completing a century ride. any suggestions?

   When I did an olympic tri, I called my newsletter “Tri Harder: CENTURY RIDE’s Triathlon Journey” and I’d like something a little punny and similar.

   1. Cycle Ops
      Bike Curious

      1. +1 for “Bike Curious” but I’m not sure if *that’s * the message you want(ed) to send…. :)

         1. thanks Anonymous and PHX. I love Bike Curious, but my family is far too conservative to enjoy the pun. I am still working on it. Thanks again.

            1. Well, if you can’t use it, I’m totally stealing it for something….. :)

            2. steal away!!

               I thnk that I am going to use “Going the Distance”

   2. No ideas but your commitment is inspiring.

      1. thank you!!

10. Father’s day present ideas re: camping: My dad loves camping. But, my parents have a lot of the basics already. I’d like to upgrade a supply or two but am not getting a great read on the usefulness of some of the items I’m seeing. Does the hive have any suggestions for good gear upgrades for recreational camping? They’re more of the drive in to the camp si te and sand enjoy drinks kind of campers…

    1. Eno hammock?

       1. +1 My husband just went camping and said these are super popular. He said there were more hammocks than tents at their camp site.

    2. Its hard to say not knowing their gear. With the type of camping they do, it also doesn’t sound like the most advanced gear is needed, e.g. if you ate through hiking, paying for an ultralight tent is worth it, but tent weight make no difference when car camping.

       I’d first check the obvious to see if it looks old or worn (tent, sleeping bags, tent, stove, camp chairs, stove, lantern), and replace.

       Other items that can be useful are a modern set of plates, bowls, cups, cutlery, or a solar panel phone charger.

    3. On my list: hammock, double sleeping bag, inflatable mattresses as an upgrade from pads.

    4. Do you know what kind of tent they have? Lots of the big car-camping tents have extensions (garages/giant vestibules) that are sold separately. That could be fun. What about some really nice camp chairs? We love our coleman stove for car camping but they may already have that. A double Eno hammock could definitely be fun, too.

    5. I second the Eno hammock. Another idea might be to upgrade their cooking supplies and organize it. I did this for my dad one year. he had lots of stuff that he kept kind of randomly in different containers. I bought a couple different size Rubbermaid-type containers with good lids and organized everything for him. I also threw in a new set of smores sticks and supplies.

       1. This is a great suggestion. OP, if your parents don’t have one already, consider looking at chuck boxes that hold all the non-perishables and cleaning supplies for car camping trips. I have an old Coleman one that looks something like this http://www.amazon.com/Camping-Kitchen-Box-Chuck/dp/B00O4H7FSK but is not as deep. Also not nearly as expensive as that! I particularly like these because you can take them out of the car and the cabinet shape means that everything is immediately accessible. It makes staying organized/fully stocked so much easier.

    6. Nice sleeping pads? Nice chairs for sitting around the campfire? A pop up tent/screen to cover the picnic table (I’ve been coveting one of these).

    7. I don’t know anything about camping, but, as a cook, I would advise against getting something for a long-time, well stocked hobbiest that is not something that you know that they want. Usually, by the time someone’s been doing something for a while, they have most of what they want and have pretty strong opinions about what other things would be useful and what would just be clutter.

       1. This makes sense, actually. Can you ask your mom what camping stuff your dad has been looking at/wanting?

    8. What about a National Parks year-long membership? You can either get one for all of America, or just a local area.

       1. And just a side note, senior citizens can get a lifetime membership for free admittance to national parks for really really cheap. My future-inlaws have the membership and it usually gets our entire car in to the park.

    9. DH recently got a new Leatherman as a gift. At first he was underwhelmed as he already has at least one, but then he got excited and told me it was a new one and he was excited about it because of some new tools and they reduced the weight on it somehow. It’s the kind of gadget that always seems to come in handy, in my house at least.

11. I’m not loving this skirt but I think my view is marred by my hate of linen.

    1. I like the skirt, but with no reviews and The Limited’s hit-or-miss quality, I’d have to see it in person and try it on. I’ve noted that even reviews on the site aren’t very helpful for me in terms of determining quality…I’ve tried on something that got great reviews, including noting high quality, and just been appalled by how cheap the piece felt/looked. This has the potential to be an interesting summer and transition piece, though, at a reasonable price if purchased on sale, IMO.

12. Are there any Seattleites here that would love to give some insight on the city?

    My husband was offered a job there that we are considering seriously, though we know nothing about the city. What’s public transportation like? What are the good neighborhoods? Do we need a car? It’d be a cross country move, with a newborn. Any advice would be VERY appreciated.

    1. I live in Seattle and lurve it–we made the cross country move about a year and a half ago. We live about 2 miles from the downtown core and presently do not own a car. For the past year and a half, we’ve been using car2go, public transport, our feet, and our bikes to get around day to day. On weekends we occasionally rent a car or use zip car. While this has worked out fine for us, (1) we do not have a child, and (2) honestly, it began to feel a bit isolating, for me at least. We are presently looking into buying a car for weekend adventuring. The city is full of great neighborhoods, but single family homes in many of them–especially Queen Anne, Ballard, West Seattle, Fremont, Capital Hill, and Madison Park–are very, very expensive. We live in a lovely 2-bedroom, 900-ish sq/ft unit in a co-op building that is very close to 2 parks, and I expect we will have our first child in this environment. There’s a huge exodus from Silicon Valley to Seattle right now, and many people are settling in West Seattle. I’m happy to share more of my experience with you if you’re interested–hit me up at srf266 AT gmail DOT com.

       1. Thank you so much! I’ll definitely reach out. We’re really going into this blind, but Seattle seems great and I’d love to hear about it from another transplant.

    2. We live in north Seattle. We moved from Michigan 4 years ago. We both work outside the city, so both have cars, but if you’re working downtown and living nearby, I know people who manage without. We don’t have kids, but I imagine living car-less with kids is harder than without. Getting downtown is relatively easy on a bus, but getting across the city East/West is more difficult.

       Housing is pretty expensive, and the house buying market right now is bananas. My favorite neighborhoods are Fremont, Phinney Ridge, and Green Lake, but there are a ton of nice places, and each has its own personality.

       I love the city, and we just bought a house, so we are in for the long haul. Feel free to email me any questions at ak9502 at outlook dot com.

       1. Thank you! He won’t be working downtown, and we’ll be moving while I would be on maternity leave, so it sounds like a car will make life a lot easier. We’re moving from NYC, so while it’s expensive there, it will still be an improvement (part of the reason I want to move!).

          You guys are awesome, thanks for being a willing resource.

          1. I’ve lived in Seattle and NYC and FWIW, Seattle is way more expensive. In NYC, there are enough businesses to cater to a 100k job, so eating out and having an urban lifestyle is more affordable. Seattle is full of tech money and geographic constraints (ocean, mountains) really constrain growth so housing is actually more than NYC. Plus NYC has the subway which cuts down on traffic and commute times. The buses in Seattle have to sit in traffic (although they try to make carpool lanes but its pretty ineffective). All of my Seattle friends from NYC remark on how much more expensive Seattle is.

    3. Not a Seattleite, but you might find the blog The Daily Garnish interesting/helpful. The author moved to Seattle a few years ago, is super active, writes a lot about the city (she loves it) and has two kids under 4. I believe she’s also lived in a couple different neighborhoods while there. I’m not sure how easily accessible specific tips would be, but you could try the search or tag functionality, especially as you get a working knowledge of the area through other research.

       Bonus if you’re veggie or vegan! She’s a trained chef and often posts recipes or mentions restaurants they love.

       1. Thanks for the great resource! It’ll be great to poke through someone’s life there with small kids. And I AM a vegetarian, so double bonus.

          1. The blogger lived in the Fremont neighborhood of Seattle when they first moved to the area and now lives in Kirkland (east of Seattle across Lake Washington). So you’ll see posts are somewhat different in the last couple of years since they moved to Kirkland and had a second child. I haven’t followed it much lately as I was more interested in the vegetarian recipes and exercise posts than the raising kids posts.

    4. I live in Seattle and have a newborn. It is expensive, expensive, expensive. We are talking about $3k for infant daycare (2k for toddler) per month, $2k plus for a 2-bedroom apartment within a 1 hour commute of downtown during rush hour, and if you are looking a burb, commute times can be huge. So its a typical, expensive city. Amazon is driving up home values. (Amazon offers signing bonuses of about 60k on average, and going up higher so new grads getting that signing bonus are putting it all down on homes). FWIW, my husband and I both have 6 figure jobs and no debt and we can’t afford to buy. We are actually moving down South to South urban city where we can get a walkable lifestyle in a small, urban home (about 1200 sq ft) on our current salary. We would stay if we were in the $500k plus range, combined instead of the $250k range and we just decided that the stress of our lifestyle is too high with a baby. We are a one-car household – I drive about 20 mins and my husband commutes by bus to downtown about an hour. We just feel like we might want to either have another kid or buy a home eventually. We are living in a 1 bdrm (So baby sleeps in the bedroom with us for now) with rent of about $1900 just north of the University District.

       We would def come back when the kids are grown or we are at a higher salary point in our careers. We love it here, although the weather is very, very tough. Its also very difficult to make friends with ppl who vaccinate their kids as everyone here is no vax.

13. Jetboil.

14. Career TJ: An official from a professional association I’m a part of recently contacted me about featured on the association website. This is something they normally do i.e. short bio about what you do, how you got interested in your occupation etc. I have been struggling career wise, unemployed and have been interviewing for positions with no prospects yet. I’m just wondering how to respond to this request which is I suppose is a good opportunity when I am feeling frustrated….Suggestions?

    1. How have you been describing what you’re doing when you’re interviewing? I find it’s usually easy to frame things in a way that seem better than they are. Basically you make it look like it’s all intentional. So if you got laid off a few months ago, you say that your practice area had slowed down and there wasn’t enough work for you to stay, but since then you’ve been enjoying the opportunity to [blog, dig into industry publications, whatever you’ve been doing to keep current in your field] and are excited to move on when the right opportunity presents itself. You must, however, not think of any of this as lying and must not say anything untrue or intentionally misleading. I think it’s easy to think of unemployment as something that happens to you but if you could get a job flipping burgers or bagging groceries and you’re choosing not to, then you really still are in control of your life. You might think “I’d take ANY job at this point!” but what you mean is “any job in your field that pays at least $X and wouldn’t be complete career suicide”, which means you’re still controlling the process. It can help to remember that.

    2. Consider this another networking opportunity! Just because you are currently unemployed does not negate all of your previous accomplishments, so be sure to spotlight them as you mention you are looking for a new opportunity! Also, make sure that they put a good picture of you up there

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