This post may contain affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. As an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases.
These cute Chelsea booties look like great basics for fall, whether you're going to work or not — and some sizes and colors are as low as $18.99. Nice!
In general, what are the booties you think you'll be wearing this fall? (Are you going back to some knee-high boots to wear with leggings and skinny jeans?)
The pictured boots are $19–$129 at Amazon, with 35 color combinations (!!!), available in sizes 5–13, regular and wide sizes. The boots are also available at Nordstrom, Zappos, and DSW.
This post contains affiliate links and Corporette® may earn commissions for purchases made through links in this post. For more details see here. Thank you so much for your support!
Sales of note for 9.19.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September, and cardmembers earn 3x the points (ends 9/22)
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles — and 9/19 only, 50% off the cashmere wrap
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Anniversary event, 25% off your entire purchase — Free shipping, no minimum, 9/19 only
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Tuckernuck – Friends & Family Sale – get 20%-30% off orders (ends 9/19).
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
Sales of note for 9.19.24
- Nordstrom – Beauty deals through September, and cardmembers earn 3x the points (ends 9/22)
- Ann Taylor – Extra 30% off sale
- Banana Republic Factory – 50% off everything + extra 20% off
- Boden – 15% off new styles
- Eloquii – Extra 50% off sale
- J.Crew – 50% off select styles — and 9/19 only, 50% off the cashmere wrap
- J.Crew Factory – Up to 60% off everything + 50% off sale with code
- Lo & Sons – Warehouse sale, up to 70% off
- M.M.LaFleur – Save 25% sitewide
- Neiman Marcus – Friends & Family 25% off
- Rag & Bone – Friends & Family 25% off sitewide
- Spanx – Lots of workwear on sale, some up to 70% off
- Talbots – Anniversary event, 25% off your entire purchase — Free shipping, no minimum, 9/19 only
- Target – Car-seat trade-in event through 9/28 — bring in an old car seat to get a 20% discount on other baby/toddler stuff.
- Tuckernuck – Friends & Family Sale – get 20%-30% off orders (ends 9/19).
- White House Black Market – 40% off select styles
Some of our latest posts here at Corporette…
And some of our latest threadjacks here at Corporette (reader questions and commentary) — see more here!
Some of our latest threadjacks include:
- What to say to friends and family who threaten to not vote?
- What boots do you expect to wear this fall and winter?
- What beauty treatments do you do on a regular basis to look polished?
- Can I skip the annual family event my workplace holds, even if I'm a manager?
- What small steps can I take today to get myself a little more “together” and not feel so frazzled all of the time?
- The oldest daughter is America's social safety net — change my mind…
- What have you lost your taste for as you've aged?
- Tell me about your favorite adventure travels…
PNW
I broke my own rule about buying shoes on Amazon to get a pair of booties in a brand & size I know fits me well, and they were crap. I don’t think they are knock-offs, but clearly not first run and very poor quality. Won’t make that mistake again.
Anon
I do not trust Amazon at all anymore. Some things will be marked as “sold by Amazon” (sold by, not “fulfilled by”) and then later when you’re ready to check out, it will actually show a different random seller instead. Between stuff like that, the search function and product labels being a total disaster, and me receiving what was clearly a used mattress protector once, I’m just about done with them.
Panda+Bear
Same. Unless I really really need something and absolutely cannot get it someplace else, I am done with Amazon.
Vicky Austin
Same. I basically use it for the list function these days; that’s it.
Anon
Not to mention their really awful business and labor practices. So many reasons to quit Amazon!
Anon
I was so surprised at the responses on the Uber/Lyft independent contractor discussion this morning. Everyone seems onboard that Amazon has terrible labor practices but is fine with Uber and Lyft trying to cheat their employees out of benefits by labeling them independent contractors. (Because that is exactly what they’re doing – it’s their business model)
Did you know that the surge pricing differential used to go to the driver to compensate them for slower rides, and they suddenly changed it so the drivers get the regular price no matter what and the surge surcharge goes to Uber? There are many, many instances of them changing the rules to screw the drivers, and I’m sure it’s the same now that the drivers are mostly doing deliveries.
Y’all should read up on their practices.
Anon
I skipped by that thread this morning because I had a feeling reading it would make me angry. I’m totally with you on Uber and Lyft and every other tech company that exploits people as well.
Anon
It’s wrong in the first place that so many security nets are only available to employees and not independent contractors .
Anonymous
I think that many people can’t be employees (often due to elder care / child care responsibilities) and want to do gigs as their schedule permits. I’m most familiar with writers, who have really been screwed over by this. Often, their output isn’t suitable for FT positions that are qualified for benefits (say, 10 hours per week), but is meaningful work to keep their resumes current, maintain contacts, and bring in some $$$. They may have absenteeism issues if they were a classical employee (taking family members to an unusual # of medical appointments, etc.). IC work works for some people. Others are under the table and totally unaffected by this, but good IC work from good companies is severely limited by this. Rather than make a 10-hour flex-time person an employee, the person is unemployed and without their usual gigs, often from a hard-won set of gig offerers.
I’m not saying it’s perfect, but people doing FT work are generally different from many / most subsets of ICs and California is pretty much forcing them out of business or out of the state. It’s not resulting in the people getting hired as FT employees.
Anonymous
It shouldn’t be surprising that an issue has different sides. And that laws often don’t adequately address what lawmakers see as the problem.
Take a look at the Constitution:
Prohibition!!!
Whoops — never mind.
Humans make mistakes. Lawmakers aren’t an exception to the general rule.
Anon
If you’re a less than 40 hour per week employee, even if you don’t qualify for healthcare benefits, you’re still protected by workers’ compensation if you’re injured on the job.
Not so for independent contractors. If you’re injured while working as an Uber driver, you’re out of luck for both medical care and wage replacement.
Think about being in a horrific auto accident while you’re working as a driver and your passenger’s injuries are covered by Uber but yours aren’t.
It’s a very privileged viewpoint to think that Uber drivers are doing this for fun or as a side gig to make a little dough. Lots of them work full time or close to it, and they have few choices for other employment.
Anon
Oh also, I would never buy face masks on Amazon. I’m sure there are tons of counterfeit N95s or poorly made surgical masks out there.
Monday
I had a very shady experience with Amazon customer service. I was somehow negotiating the amount of my refund with an agent who kept changing the terms and clearly had some motive of their own. Then I found even shadier instances described online and recently read an article about independent contractors who serve as customer service agents…wondered if maybe some scammers are doing this and diverting funds to themselves.
Link to follow for the article, though its focus is definitely more on how bad a deal this is for the contractors (and I agree.)
Monday
Article: https://www.propublica.org/article/meet-the-customer-service-reps-for-disney-and-airbnb-who-have-to-pay-to-talk-to-you
Anonymous
Planet Money just released a podcast on this as well – “Call Center Call Out”. Highly worth the listen!
Cat
+1, shopping for clothing on Amazon is irritating at best (terrible search functionality, having to carefully click on each color & size to see what price you might get out of a huge range, etc) and unreliable at worst.
Are booties really sticking around another year? I feel like cute sneakers are overtaking them.
Anonyz
I got fake hair conditioner two weeks ago. It was a cheap, unknown brand that I can’t believe anyone would bother to duplicate. The list of what I buy from them now is almost nil.
Anonymous
I’m surprised with so much hate. I have an 11.5w foot. If I couldn’t use Amazon, I’d be in a world of hurt. The selection is so much better than anywhere else, my orders arrive super fast and returns couldn’t be easier. I’ve never had a problem with a return. Same with using it for my CPAP supplies. I’ve had to do rush orders when my insurance company quibbles with their own equipment suppliers. If it weren’t for Amazon, I don’t know what I would do (it also makes it super easy to order extras of things my insurance won’t cover at low cost). My mom is in a rural area–truly it has been a godsend to get her what she needs, especially now that it’s not just the long drive but she’s older and has difficulty getting around large parking lots and stores like the not-so-near Walmart.
NTC
Nike Training Club. Lots of free options and the premium (membership) is worth it. All modes, including premium, are currently free.
AnonMPH
Are we talking for clothes, or for everything else? Amazon is garbage for clothes and shoes. The search functionality and the brands that show up (unless you search for a very specific item) are totally bewildering. But Amazon owns Zappos, which does a great job. For everything else, it’s pretty hard to beat the selection and the ease of finding everything in one place, with free, fast shipping. In the past week or so I’ve ordered very specific conditioner, a webcam, a three tiered basked to hang fruits and vegetables plus the additional required hardware, and everything was delivered quickly and exactly what I needed. I don’t love supporting Amazon, but when I order from other places, I have to go to many stores to get the same set of things, almost always have to pay for shipping but get a longer shipping speed, and have a much more difficult time with returns. I try not to go to Amazon for absolutely everything to be able to support local businesses and because I do not think they should have a monopoly. But I do not understand when people say they can have as good or better of a shopping experience elsewhere. I find its just so much more hassle.
Sloan Sabbith
Yes, I loved the Basel booties I got but I don’t think ordering them on Amazon is a good idea. I got some pumas last year that were the same style as ones I wore through and they hurt my instep so bad I sent them back.
Anon
Reposting – Can anyone recommend a workout app that has “real” instructors (not animated) for a variety of workouts like yoga, barre, pilates, strength, etc? Thanks!
ANON
Try FitOn. It’s free. Haven’t done much on there but it has live instructors.
Pompom
Peloton’s app has almost everything these days. You don’t need a bike or tread to have the app and get value; the phone app membership is great!
Anonymous
DownDog has yoga/barre/pilates! A vote for Les Mills on Demand too.
anon
I have both Peloton and Obe. I used to take a weekly barre class and did weights with a trainer two times a week. I do strength with my trainer virtually over Zoom now, but really miss my barre class! For barre/pilates, I prefer Obe like tenfold. Peloton I mostly use for the bike/cardio but it’s nice to then just add on like 10 mins of strength, which I will also mention Obe has too. I will say that I am pregnant and Peloton has like 6 prenatal/postnatal classes which was a real bummer and Obe has like 175, so if that’s on your horizon, keep that in mind.
anne-on
Obe and, shortly, Apple fitness. Obe is not my favorite personally but they do have a good mix/library of classes.
Anonymous
I learned about Obe from here and actually really like them. I like the variety and I like the instructors. There are usually some promo codes floating around out there for anyone interested.
RW
Down Dog and Obe
Anon
BeachBody on Demand. I love it so much. I did weights this morning, but they have everything. We don’t have kids, so this whole WFH thing has given me lots of time to squeeze in a 25-45 minute workout any time.
Duckles
I started DailyBurn this spring and like it; a lot of variety and all live instructors. $20/month
anon8
FitnessBlender is on YouTube. They have their own website that is mobile friendly with a workout calendar, workout programs, etc.
Anon
Thank you everyone!
Anon
You guys are always so great with gift ideas. I’m looking for something for MIL who loves gadgets. She often travels for work and is always on the phone/ipad/iwatch etc. She can buy whatever she needs so the value would be in something cool she might not have heard of. I’m… not very gadget-savvy. Any ideas? Thank you!
Anon
PurpleAir sensor if you live in the west.
Anonymous
I think it’s called Ouru — a sleep tracker ring. Also: the Muse headband for meditating.
pugsnbourbon
I always check The Grommet and Uncommon Goods for gaget-y gifts.
anon
I’ve seen several new “paper” tablets that look really cool. They use e-ink (like Kindle), which makes them great ereaders and extends their battery life, but are also supposed to closely replicate the paper-and-pencil feel of taking notes and making sketches. If I traveled for work, I would buy one to use in place of notebooks and legal pads.
Anonymous
I’ve not tried (but wanted to try) sleep phones – a headband with built in speakers/headphones. As a side sleeper, I think the idea is brilliant – audio books in a headband to keep other noises out, or not disturb bed partner.
If she is a travel nerd: I think the Lufthansa World shop has some cool things in their Upcycled range – they have made practical items from an old Airbus. Bags, luggage tags, wash bags and even furniture. Blankets, safety cards, hull, all sorts of things upcycled. You’d have to get an allied in the EU, though, they don’t send to the US, it seems.
Panda Bear
She may already have it covered, but I wish someone would buy me one of those ring lights that supposedly improve lighting on video calls.
Planet of self-improvement
I feel like women are in self-examination and self-improvement mode all the time. Which could be fine in small doses, but it adds up to decades of “I need to be more X,” when are we not pretty darn good already? Or good enough?
[Like I could still be worthy of love or a good person if I don’t have a thigh gap / have an OK diet / have OK habits / etc.] And that guys are generally unburdened by this (maybe with exceptions of workout books and maybe things about negotiating). Yes? No?
My dog likes me plenty just as I am.
Monday
I agree. Even worse if you’re single: single women are always expected to be “working on themselves” and somehow establishing worthiness for a relationship. Never seen that with single men.
anon
If a woman is single for a long time, something must be wrong with her. If a man is single for a long time, something must be wrong with all the women who don’t see how great he is.
Anon
I’m reminded of that old cartoon where a conventionally beautiful woman looks in a mirror and sees a hideous monster, and a very conventionally unattractive man looks in a mirror and sees an Adonis. Cultural programming.
Good for you for accepting yourself as you are! Pass it on.
Anon
I think it depends on the person. I wouldn’t broad-brush paint it as a gender divide. I do think women in the U.S. are a lot more vocal about self-help and desire to improve whereas machismo culture aggregates the outward projection of these thoughts with showing weakness. In my culture of origin men and women both are expected to silently knock it out of the park and keep that going until they die of a heart attack in their early 60s or become bitter old wretches.
Vicky Austin
Definitely. Sometimes I feel like just giving it a rest, and sometimes I feel like that’s the only thing between me and the worst kind of existential boredom. I’m still figuring it out, I guess. But my dog likes me fine, too. :)
anon
Idk, I really enjoy improving myself. I also like getting better at my hobbies, which are running and playing the piano. I think self-improvement is a good thing, and you can appreciate who you are while acknowledging that you could be better at some things.
Anonymous
This. I love trying new stuff whether as a one off or a new hobby.
anon
I think self-examination and self-improvement are good and necessary traits in people, but I definitely get what you’re saying regarding social attitudes and the extent of those feelings.
I wish we could just take half of that anxiety off of women/people who are actually trying and heap it on all the entitled folks who are convinced they don’t need to work on themselves as long as they can point to someone else who is “worse” than they are.
Cb
Yes, I’ve been thinking about this a lot lately ie. women as consumers of productivity books, podcasts, etc. I also think it is evident on the anti-racism front. Obviously this is important and necessary work, but I feel like women are more engaged in it when we all need to be. Entirely anecdata but how many men did you see starting book groups, posting reading lists, dedicating themselves to anti-racist work?
Monday
Yeah, I’ve also attended some volunteer trainings lately, related to voting rights, and they’ve been about 90% women.
JDMD
Jia Tolentino has written about this phenomenon. She refers to it as “always be optimizing”. Check out her essays if you want a deeper exploration of the theme.
Anonymous
I used to think this, but my current BF and some men who have recently become my closest friends have convinced me otherwise. Perhaps it is not so public (see the comment re machismo), but they are very hard on themselves internally, esp. my BF. I also see this fading culturally, with a lot more advertising of self-improvement products and services of all kinds to men.
Anon
Controversial statement, but the pressure to engage in chronic “self improvement” is mostly driven by other women, and a certain type of woman: suburban, pink collar, married with a husband who earns a nice living, bored and boring. If you aren’t “crushed” under the “expectations” placed on women, you’re not part of the club. Except that it’s code for “hate yourself as much as we hate ourselves.” I’ve paid a large social price for not engaging in the chronic self-hate; however, one of the joys of one’s late 30s is finding a really good group who does not behave this way.
I have too much to do in my day to engage in meaningless “self improvement.” I want to be a better person because God asks that of me and I want to be better for those whom I care about. I want to do a good job at my work to help provide for my family and give us more flexibility as time goes on. I contribute to the community because that’s something capable adults should do.
But I don’t have time for picking myself apart about thigh gaps or “perfect” parenting. My week: half marathon, my job (lawyer), election day operations training, training for a role at my alma mater (chairing an entire region), and I’m a wife and a mother. Sorry if I actually don’t have the time in my day to obsess about my 8-month postpartum stomach or the “expectations” that “society” has for me. And if you want to mock the lawyer mom who is pushing her baby in the jogging stroller as “not good enough,” there’s a reason I waited until age 37 to marry the man I did – he doesn’t do that.
Huh
You seem to be a bit bitter. Some could read your list of half-marathon, job, training (and so soon) as pressuring other women to take on more and more. You only seem to distinguish yourself from those “other” women by saying they’re focused on image or fitness issues and you’re focused on an equally demanding list of non-physical achievements.
Anon
I know this will blow your mind, but I actually don’t run my life based on other people’s insecurities. Leaves much more time for running my life the way I want to run it.
Try it sometime.
Anonymous
I don’t disagree with most of what you said, except I don’t think it’s limited to pink collar women, and often the focus isn’t just ourselves, but our kids. Just look at the readership of this board – how many people want to use the pandemic to get ahead and feeling stress about that (or their kids falling behind, or…), when we’re in the middle of a worldwide crisis? Of all of the times to need some grace towards ourselves in our country. …
Anon
Agree, but now in my 40s I realize so much of that behavior I have seen from so many other women, in the workplace or elsewhere, is externalized insecurity. Like, they are not okay with themselves (or in some cases don’t even know who they really are, at their core) and their method of coping is to constantly pursue, pursue, pursue all of these goals so A. they don’t have to sit in stillness and confront some of the more uncomfortable (and not-easily-solvable) realities of their own lives and B. they have weapons in their arsenal that they can pull out at will and wield in conversations where they start to feel less-than. Rather than realizing that feeling less-than is something that comes from inside them, and they could control that to some degree.
Now into my fifth decade, I have internalized the idea that “comparison is the thief of joy” and given that I don’t lack for much, the only thing I want to continue to “work on” is my gratitude. I think it is something that happens as you get older as most of my over-40 friends have had similar realizations. I will never run a marathon, learn to speak another language, have the body that society expects me to have, etc. I “worked on” all those things for a long time and never got there. But I am pretty happy. My life is pretty great. I put my energies into being a good wife, mom, daughter, friend, employee, volunteer and citizen (not necessarily in that order, depending on the day) and I try to follow the campsite rule in all my relationships, long or short: leave it better than you found it. I no longer feel the need to do things with my time that seem mostly performative, or are driven by other people’s expectations. Those aren’t the things that create happiness for me.
Anon
I wish we had more information about the Trump world COVID exposures. It’s concerning to me that the Rose Garden event was likely a major source of spread since it was outdoors – haven’t people here been saying over and over that stuff outdoors is basically negligible risk? From what I can see of pictures from the event, distancing was poor and so was mask-wearing, but even still, it’s a reminder that those brief outdoor interactions we’ve all had may be higher risk than we thought. I wish we could trust the information we’re getting about all of this so that we could actually know whether the event was the main spreading occasion or whether it was something else.
Anonymous
I agree, I’m really hungry for more information. That said, none of the precautions we take are perfect on their own. Testing can have false negatives. There is nothing 100% protective about being outside or keeping a distance or masking. All of these things together can add up to best practices but they aren’t perfect. I also thought I read that they went inside after the outdoor event but maybe I am mis-remembering.
Anonymous
My personal conspiracy theory is that Hope Hicks was not the first case; she announced first. I am betting the president and First Lady has it first.
I’ll also bet there were meetings behind the scenes for all the folks at the outdoor event.
Therefore, while many of the positives were *at* the rose garden event, the majority of the spreading did not happen there.
anon a mouse
Hicks didn’t announce. A reporter figured it out and the White House confirmed. It certainly seems they knew about positives at the WH and were hoping to keep them quiet. It is awfully suspicious that they won’t release when the president last had a negative test.
Cat
Outdoors yes but- tightly packed like a church at Easter, a not-negligible amount of time, and few masks to be seen. Don’t forget there were also a number of associated indoor receptions.
I would not compare the Rose Garden hypo at ALL with, for example, passing by another family on the sidewalk, interacting with a waiter for perhaps 5 cumulative minutes with outdoor dining, waiting in a distanced line at an outdoor market, etc.
Anon
Yeah, I just wish we had much more information to help determine whether the Rose Garden event itself was the cause or if it was (as you say) those associated receptions. It would be helpful to know as the election comes up and people have to think about waiting in line for extended periods to cast their ballots. I hope they’ll distance, but that’s not happening everywhere.
doctor fam
You have to think about it scientifically. This disease is airborne. Outdoors is generally better because the air has a greater chance to dissipate before the virus particles meet another person. Indoors, the air (and therefore the particles) are more confined within a defined area – although HVAC systems and A/C and generally circulating the air help with this.
However, if you are hugging and sitting right next to each other, even when you’re outside, the virus does not have time to dissipate, and it really only has to go a short distance before finding someone. So even outdoors, it is better to distance or to wear masks if you’re going to be so close to each other. They were also sitting right next to each other – no skipped seats – for an extended amount of time. That is very different from saying HI to a friend while you’re on a run.
This is a very simplified explanation! I have to agree with a post from earlier – the healthcare workers I know are being cautious, but not as paranoid as those on this board. A large part of why they’re more reasonable is because they have been exposed to people with COVID, but due to PPE and taking appropriate measures, haven’t gotten it.
Side note – who hugs allll their colleagues like that!
Anonymous
Plus, isn’t the Rose Garden an enclosed area? It’s like a roofless box, so not really a great outdoors space for an airborne disease. The air is probably pretty stagnant there at ground level.
Anon
Oh it is? I thought it was open.
Anonymous
It looks like it’s bounded on one side by that building and walkway and then bounded by the tall hedge on the other. So it’s kind of half open
Anon
Paranoid? That’s real nice. I for one am very grateful for the people taking it seriously. Thanks to them my state is doing better.
Anon
Outdoors and socially distanced with incidental passing by strangers versus outdoors, sitting right next to people for an extended period of time, and handshaking, hugging and giving kiss cheeks are totally different. The event you’re referring to is the latter. Covid doesn’t spread well outdoors because of wind that disperses the virus and the virus being swept away in random directions and upward by the wind. It will absolutely spread if you’re talking at a pre-Covid distance where spittal and tiny breath droplets can land directly on your face/into your breathed air.
I think the recommendation that masked + socially distanced outdoors remains a low chance of transmission.
anon
Right. As my husband says: if someone f@rted 2 feet from you, you’d still smell it even if you were outside. Outside, masks on, some distance, and not extended amounts of time are all helpful mitigating factors.
Anon
A doctor told me that if you can smell smoke from someone’s cigar*tte, you’re in range to transmit/be exposed to Covid from that person’s breath. That’s kind of crazy to me because I have asthma and a very sensitive nose and I can definitely smell cig smoke up to at least 50 feet away.
Anon
It’s not mask OR distance OR outdoors. It’s mask AND distance AND outdoors. They broke two of three of those conditions. This is not a surprising result at all.
Anonymous
this.
Z
Yes, this. I’ve also been seeing pictures of people at the event meeting and talking unmasked inside the white house. So although the event itself was outside, people were interacting inside too.
Flats Only
The Rose Garden event was fairly long, and there looked to be a ton of unmasked hugging and handshaking. Afterwards everyone went inside for a reception. So it’s not the same as a brief outdoor-only interaction you might have with a neighbor or someone in the supermarket parking lot. So yes, outdoors, brief and distanced (and even masked, if possible) is still pretty safe. Outdoor hugging, followed by an indoor reception = not safe.
https://www.cnn.com/2020/10/04/politics/gallery/barrett-announcement-inside-white-house-0926/index.html
No Face
I’m not extrapolating the White House event with brief outdoor interactions. Packed together while seated, no masks, talking close together for long periods of time, indoor events. I saw a video of one of the positive senators hugging people. They were doing the exact opposite of basically all recommendations!
When I hang out with people outside, we do not sit close together. I do not hug anyone outside of my household. I do not do anything in a crowd. I’ve known several people who behaved that way around someone who later tested positive; no transmission happened. It really doesn’t take much to lower the risk, which is why that White House event was so offensive to me.
Anonymous
The Rose Garden event also had an indoor reception
and more and more people are testing positive from that religious march that happened right before the RBG-grave-dancing party
Anon
They weren’t only outdoors. There was a lot of indoor time connected with that event.
Anon
Are you hugging people? Talking to them from one foot away? With nobody wearing masks? I think people have been saying here that you’re not going to get Covid from using playground equipment another kid used earlier that day, from jogging by someone not wearing a mask, or from a hike with a friend where you both wear masks and attempt to keep some distance between you. Nothing about the Rose Garden event disproves those statements. Honestly, I never got that close to colleagues and acquaintances in normal times! Also, fwiw, they did have an indoor reception that a lot of the same people attended, though I think some people who weren’t at the indoor event have tested positive.
Anonymous
Nope. No one has been saying gathering a group of two hundred with no distancing and no masks is find because it is outdoors.
Anon
+1 People here have been rightfully criticizing weddings, including outdoors ones, all the time. There’s a huge difference between two friends meeting outdoors, keeping distance and wearing masks vs a huge group gathering with no masks or distancing. Being outdoors makes moderate risk interactions a lot safer, but it doesn’t allow you to return to pre-pandemic life and I haven’t seen anyone suggest that it does.
Anon
Huh, I thought I was mostly seeing defenses of weddings as long as they were outdoors, but we’re probably just seeing different posts on different days. Either way, I do want more information about the Rose Garden event, but it may be impossible to tease out whether that was the main risk center when a lot/most(?) of the attendees also did the indoor functions.
Anon
I read here daily and I’ve never seen anyone endorse large gatherings with no masks.
Cat
The outdoor weddings people were defending were small (like, 20 people or less). No one is defending a 200 person event, even outdoors, that I’ve seen here.
Anon
Plenty of people said they either did attend or would attend outdoor weddings with masks/distancing or even indoor with masks/distancing. They didn’t all sound like “immediate family only” weddings either. It came up on those threads from the poster who didn’t want to cancel her 200-person wedding.
LaurenB
The outdoor weddings being “defended’ here were of the bride/groom/their parents and siblings variety, not gatherings of several hundred. It seemed like the max being “defended” is about 15 – 20.
Anon
Anon at 3:57, you seem to be implying that there is only one opinion around here. If that were true the threads would be about three entries long.
But in this case I don’t remember anything other than perhaps a few outliers saying 200 person weddings, whether indoor or outdoor, were ok. I think the vast majority of people know that is very risky.
Snarky
It might not have been all outdoor spread. The NY Times also had a picture of reception for Barrett that looked like it was in the Oval Office with maskless cocktail-party-like mingling. It was on the front page this weekend.
And Amy Coney Barrett was wearing the most hideous, dated, round toe ”nude”patent shoes. They somehow looked both incredibly cheap and ill-fitting. They were nearly as gross as her views on women’s rights.
Z
LOL to your shoes comment. Definitely ugly.
Anon
LOL to your shoes comment. Definitely ugly.
anon
Geez, can we not with your second paragraph?
Snarky
Nah I’m doing it. I can snark on the fashion choices of a women who wants to force us all to give birth against our will. She gets no passes. She’s revolting.
Sing it, sister!
Word! I thought she looked dreadful! MEOW! Sorry, not sorry :)
Anon
It’s a fashion blog, so yes, we very much can.
Nesprin
She chose the shoes like she chose her godawful policy positions, so I feel pretty good about mocking them. Criticize her body or voice no, her choices yes.
Anonymous
They are Ivanka Trump brand shoes.
Anon
HAHAHA. Of course they are.
AFT
the Wikipedia article has a ton of info – search for White House Covid 19 Outbreak.
interestingly, while we see all these pictures of the outdoor events, there was also an indoor reception, presumably where press photographers were not allowed.
Anonymous
The NYT has published photos of the indoor reception.
Anon
The are some photos of the indoor reception online. It was smaller and there seem to be more attempts to distance inside but still…indoors and no masks.
Anon
A long outdoor ceremony with people packed next to each other with very few masks in sight, with lots of mingling, hugging, shaking hands, kissing cheeks, followed by indoor receptions is hardly comparable to brief outdoor interactions. People have been saying small gatherings masked and socially distanced outside are low risk. Sitting with 8 people within 6 feet of you because you are packed in like sardines while not wearing masks for 2 hours in a garden with little circulation is not what people have been saying when they say outside gatherings are low risk.
AnonMPH
People were inside after the large outdoor event. You can see them all (even some of the ones who were masked outdoors, like Ben Sasse) maskless, indoors, chatting like a before-times cocktail party. The absolute hubris of these people. The only part that is shocking about this spread is that it didn’t happen sooner. We all know that this was not the first event of this kind, absolutely flouting all covid precautions, that this White House hosted both here and in Mar-a-Lago. Statistics just finally caught up with him, and the risk that someone infectious would get a false negative from the not-super-accurate rapid test came true.
After this event, clearly the president and/or others from his immediate team were already infectious, as Christie was not at the Rose Garden but was infected during debate prep Sunday-Tuesday. I am waiting for the story to break confirming that Trump did NOT have a negative test result on Tuesday before the debate as formally required by the commission. There’s no way he wasn’t infectious by that point. The callous disregard by him and his family for everyone else attending the debate, as they sat there unmasked, breathing COVID particles into the air in an indoor space for 90 minutes is just despicable. I am still so nervous for him to have infected Biden.
LaurenB
Outdoors is negligible risk if you are distanced – which these people were not. Their chairs were all pushed up next to one another.
In a funny way, I feel sorry for ACB (not that I am a fan of her views) — this was her big moment, and the White House’s arrogance set it up to be a super spreader event.
Anon
Nah, she deserves all the negative publicity she can get. She must have some seriously screwed up judgment and values to think that getting rushed through the Senate in these circumstances is a good idea. Where’s the honor in that? I think I’d feel dirty if I were in her shoes. Of course, we already knew she had bad judgment for her horrible views…
wordbird
yes and if she really respected RBG she would have turned this down and said let the next president decide… !
Mal
What are the best 1st birthday gifts you’ve gotten for you or for your child? My cousin’s little girl turns one this weekend. :)
Anon
depends on how much you want to spend, but these are all still things that are played with at age 2.5. some of these suggestions, kiddo won’t necessarily be able to use right away, but will grow into over the coming months. A LOT happens developmentally between age 1-2. play kitchen, even if not a whole kitchen some play food (like the Melissa & Doug Ice cream set), mega blocks, large knob puzzles, a baby doll stroller, books, fat brain toys spin again, green toys trucks/vehicles
Anonymous
free babysitting from a trustworthy source
Anon
Board books and more board books. Everything else is just clutter or cute clothes that will be outgrown quickly.
If baby isn’t walking yet, one of those wheeled walk-behind toys can be great at this age. They usually have something like a busy board on front.
Anon
Lift the flap books are always great. Dear Zoo is a good one that little kids love. Nicer books like the ones by Matthew Van Fleet are also very popular. A toy drum (like a B Toys drum, not an electronic drum) is a good gift. Things on wheels they can push around like cars or trucks are fun. If you want to spend more, a shopping cart or a ball pit were hits at my house.
pugsnbourbon
My nephew (14 mo.) LOVES his old-school Fisher-Price walker.
He also loves pulling pots and pans out of the cabinets, so YMMV. I miss him so much.
Anon
Baby doll and stroller if she doesn’t already have them. My daughter loved the doll right away and the stroller was a huge hit once she finally started walking. Most new walkers love having something to push around the house, and most kids walk closer to turning 1.
Anon
Not the OP, but my SIL won’t allow her daughter (now 4) to have dolls. Something about gender norms and expectations and domesticity. I think she’d legit die if I showed up with a doll AND a stroller.
So we default to contributing to her 529…
Anon
Yeah I admit I wasn’t super thrilled when my MIL bought it, but my kid loves it and honestly in 2020 most of the young boys I know play with dolls too. My daughter also has tons of legos and trucks and a construction set so I don’t think we’re giving into gender stereotypes too much. But it’s a good point that you should run this, or any gift really, by the parents. Some people don’t want physically large things, some people don’t want anything that makes noise, etc.
Cat
This is so sad. I LOVED playing ‘mommy’ with dolls and a toy kitchen as a kid. As a grown a$$ woman, I outearn my husband, he does more housework than I do, and we have no children.
Anon
I think dolls are nice as long as boys can play with them too!
My son played with his older sister’s doll stroller constantly. He did not care that it was a girl toy. But he did tent to put a ball in it rather than a doll.
They really do love walk-behind toys at that age.
anon
Play silks, outdoor ride on toy, wagon, finger paints, snowsuit (if in a cold climate), wooden blocks, giant ring stacker, play food/kitchen, balls, rainbow tunnel, board books, a custom photo book or album with pictures of family members
Anonymous
Ask on the moms site! Off the top of my head, things my kids loved when they were 1-2: Green Toys trucks and trains, Magnatiles (but save for next birthday if the kid is a big chewer – they contain small magnet parts), a ‘vet’ kit with a stuffed animal, a B Toys magnadoodle, and Duplos.
Anonymous
Folks who do intuitive eating, what changes would you notice if you looked at your pre-IE and post-IE daily diet? Are you eating the same things but less of them? A broader variety than you were before? Curious…
Anonymous
The biggest change is I feel a lot calmer around treats that used to drive me crazy. In the past I generally wouldn’t allow myself cookies or brownies so if I found myself at a party with some of my favorite treats I would end up having a lot because I never knew when I’d allow myself the treat again. Now if I want a cookie, I have a cookie and I move on with my life. I don’t feel the same compulsion to eat multiples or overeat sweets and treats because I know they’re always available to me if I truly want them.
Anon
+1. I was the 3:26 responder below and same. Before, when I did allow myself treats, I would go hogwild. Now I can do things like leave half a bag of chips in the cupboard for weeks and forget about them. Trust me when I say that NEVER would’ve happened before, not in a million years.
Anon
I eat about the same, but without the guilt and the fake rules. I used to do things like stop myself from eating the pasta I really wanted if I had already had bread that day or limit myself to exactly the serving size on a package of cookies rather than listen to my hunger levels. My diet is varied and includes plenty of treats. I’m so, so grateful that I came to IE before my last trip to Europe – it was a joy to wander the streets of Vienna, sample all kinds of cakes in the local coffeehouses that would’ve been “off-limits” or “split it with your friend” only in previous years, and then ALSO have wine and ALSO try the local specialty sausage and ALSO have a late-night hot chocolate from the Christmas market. I would’ve missed out on so many amazing regional and seasonal treats if I had stuck to my old food rules.
Anonymous
I eat much less and much lower-starch and lower fat. My body rejects starchy foods and feels sluggish after fatty foods. I know that about myself but would override it because those foods “sounded good.” I eat more fruit. Also, I virtually never eat based on what someone else is doing. Cake at the office does not mean cake for me. Pizza lunch does not mean pizza for me. Snacks with drinks at happy hour does not mean snacks for me. I also don’t order the most decadent thing on the menu just because I am at the restaurant and it sounds indulgent or I know it is the specialty of the house. I have yet to try the most interesting things at the amazing new Thai restaurant near me because most of the time I am ordering out because my body is hungry right now, and the answer is the tofu and fruit salad or chicken soup (which are all delicious!). IE, for me, has not at all been about giving in to cravings. It has been about not overriding my body’s requests for nourishing and healthful food in reasonable quantities. Of course, you may be on an entirely different journey.
Anonymous
Also, echoing the idea of leaving food (even “treats”) behind. No more clean plate club. No more emptying the bag. I feel so much better this way.
Anon
If that works for you and you truly consider it IE, that’s great, but I have known a handful of people who stuck to their safe foods/reported lots of “intolerances” that largely aligned with what some people consider “junk food” and they still called it IE. I really appreciate your points about listening to your own body, not what other people are doing, but I also wanted to suggest to OP that a big part of IE is letting go of conceptions about what is “nourishing and healthful food.” It’s okay to eat the specials that sound amazing and branch out from your “healthy” foods! Sometimes IE can be diet culture in disguise. Again, if I’m off-base for your particular situation, please disregard, but I wanted to provide a response for OP to combat a similar-sounding thing I’ve observed.
Anon
I guess; in my case, listening to my body ended up lining up pretty closely with what my doctors were telling me anyway.
Anon
Here we go already with the “See? COVID isn’t that bad! I had it and it wasn’t that bad.”
28 days until the election.
Anon
He’s not out of the woods yet, but I agree that that will be the likely messaging. Time to make another donation to Biden and to draft even more letters for Vote Forward.
Anon
He tweeted today that you shouldn’t fear it or let it dominate your life because we have “good dr*gs”…yeah, good dr*gs that are only available to you!! The antibody cocktail he got doesn’t even have FDA emergency use authorization, nobody who is not a major VIP is getting that. Not to mention that he got all the other treatments earlier than you otherwise would when they’re much more likely to be effective. I hate him.
Anon
It is already the messaging!! He continues to reach new levels of awfulness.
Enraged
I was enraged to see this tweet. I know I should be immune to his callousness and indifference by now…but the tone-deafness and the arrogance of that tweet just enrages me.
Also Alito and Clarence’s signal from this morning…is just scary.
Just needed to vent and then go donate to causes I believe in.
Cb
Ugh, what a mess. I just want to send Boris Johnson on a (virtual) tour to show the long term impact of the virus. It is clear that he is not well. Trump got lucky.
Anon
Trump is just saying this. He hasn’t even reached the typical point at which people get seriously ill (7 days post-diagnosis), and he’s certainly not out of the woods as far as avoiding all long-term complications goes. He’s also still taking a heavy-duty steroid that is known to interfere with judgment and thinking. He just can’t appear weak so he says he’s fine and it was NBD.
PolyD
Yep. Herman Cain was doing fine about a week out from his diagnosis, then within a month he was dead.
Not wishing death to anyone, just pointing out that it seems typical to start feeling fine for a few days and then decline again rather badly.
Anon
He should not be acting president while taking that steroid. It’s literally incapacitating.
Anon
Pharmacists I know disagree with you.
Anon
Yeah, as someone who has taken it in the past, it wasn’t “literally incapacitating.” It was fine. I changed nothing about my routine and nothing happened.
Anon
I agree with Anon at 5:31. It can be incapacitating. If you were able to go about your daily life, that’s fine and good for you, but you weren’t the leader of the free world with the nuclear codes at your fingertips. The steroid is known to change your brain function and impair judgment (“aggression,” “agitation,” “anxiety” and “mood changes” are all listed as “common” side effects on the label), and someone on it should not have the ability to start nuclear war. Especially when that person’s judgment is so bad to begin with that it would be hard for a medical doctor to determine whether or not the medicine is affecting him.
Anon
You who disagree should read some of the stories on Twitter from people who have taken it.
Anon
This was a long time ago, but after getting admitted to the ER for a very nasty allergic reaction to antibiotics that resulted in me having to take a cocktail mix of steroids, including the one he’s taking, I would not classify this as incapacitating. I think Trump on a regular day is more incapacitated than this drug makes anyone.
Anonymous
I don’t love attributing his behavior to a steroid. It seems like he’s just being his usual self, to me.
Anon
I don’t think anyone is attributing his current behavior to a steroid or using the steroid to excuse it, they’re simply saying that he shouldn’t be acting as president when he’s on a dr*g that might influence a person’s mental state and behavior. My toddler had dexamethasone for croup last year and it wasn’t a big deal. I believe it isn’t a big deal for most people. But I also think there’s a big difference between normal people and the president, and if there’s any question about a medicine impairing his judgment or exaggerating personality traits like aggression, then yeah, probably someone else should be acting as president temporarily. My toddler didn’t exactly have the ability to start a nuclear war.
AnonMPH
I’m not surprised, but am also outraged. Hasn’t he killed enough Americans this year with his utter carelessness and his prioritizing of his own wishful thinking and politics over people’s lives. 200,000+ American families have had their loved ones die from COVID. Millions of others have had their relatives hospitalized, alone, while the whole family stresses and wonders if they will come out alive, and if they will be permanently altered by it. He is disgusting and needs to lose by a landslide to finish discrediting his self-serving narrative of falsehoods.
Anon
He only cares about the stock market and getting re-elected “COVID is scary” would make the markets panic and his base less likely to vote.
LaurenB
My physician spouse wants him dismissed from the hospital ASAP even if it’s AMA – so he can go home and collapse in the WH. Wouldn’t that be poetic justice. Let him run himself ragged.
Anonymous
If I requested a mail in ballot, can I still vote in person as long as I don’t complete my mail in ballot? I signed up for mail in voting ages ago. For some reason, my state election website says I’m signed up for mail in voting for the general election, not for local elections (even though I selected “all”). I voted in person for my local election and I was pleasantly surprised by the precautions and cleanliness of my polling place. I still haven’t received my general election ballot; I’m concerned I’ll receive it too late for it to be counted. I feel comfortable enough with my polling place that I’d rather go in person if I don’t receive my ballot very very soon. I just don’t want to do anything wrong. Thanks!
Anon
I think generally yes but the safest thing to do would be to call your local board of elections and tell them you plan to vote in person and ask to cancel your mail-in ballot request. They should be able to do that.
Anon
This varies state to state. You need to contact your county clerk’s office (or whatever entity is in charge of elections in your state and county). They will definitely hate this information.
Cat
This varies by state. In PA, I believe you would have to bring the unused ballot to the polls with you (otherwise, the records show that you, in theory, have a mailed-in ballot just out there waiting to be counted).
Anon
Totally depends on your state, you need to contact your state’s election authority on this one.
Anom
Call Election Protection. They are part of the Lawyers Committee on Civil Rights. The volunteers there can help you figure out the right answer for your state. You can go to: 866ourvote dot org for more info.
LaurenB
In Illinois – I had requested a mail-in ballot, then decided to vote in person on the first day that it opened in my county. When I got up there and gave my name/info, they immediately saw I’d requested a mail-in ballot, and they did something behind the scenes to invalidate it, so that even when I did receive it a few days later, if I had sent it in it would have been rejected since they had my in-person vote.
Anonymous
FWIW, I’m in IL and you can drop off your mail-in ballot at some polling places (if that option makes you feel more comfortable). Read your county’s polling website.
Duckles
Any suggestions for what to do for my birthday this year? I would kill to get a massage but I’m currently visiting my parents for the month so being very covid-safe. That also means I don’t have any friends here to do anything with. I’m weirdly feeling pressure to do something “great” both because it’s been a stressful month and I need something to look forward to, but also because by coincidence my office unexpectedly closed that day so I feel like I need to take advantage of the day off.
-The day off makes it a three day weekend, so I could do a trip to nearby national parks, but it’s about a half day’s drive so I’m not sure it’s worth it (and they’re ones I visited this year, so it’s not like it’s my only chance).
– Closer is a popular tourist destination I like that would be an easier one-day, two-night trip, but again it is one I’ve been to twice this year already
-if all else fails, I’m getting shake shack and calling it making the best of a terrible year.
Any other ideas appreciated! Not interested in “you’re an adult get over your birthday” comments.
Anon
I would go to the national park. It’s always worth it! You could easily waste a half-day puttering around the house doing nothing of substance – may as well spend it doing something fun instead. I’ve never regretted driving 4.5 hours in a day to one of my favorite national parks for just a one-night trip. I also regularly drive 2.5 hours one-way and then back again in one day for skiing.
anon
It doesn’t sound like you’re excited about a trip, so don’t go if that’s the case. Let go of the pressure to do something “great” and do what you feel like.
– Order yourself a Milk Bar cake and some flowers. Or ask a loved one (or two) to order them for you.
– Set up video calls with a couple of good friends, or set up a Zoom happy hour if your friends also know each other.
– Create a birthday challenge for your favorite Covid-safe hobby–make something new, read a book, go for a long run, whatever you can tailor to your particular hobby.
anon8
Take advantage of the day off by doing something that makes you feel happy and relaxed. You don’t have to travel anywhere if you don’t feel like it.
Treat yourself to a bubble bath at home. Order a fancy birthday cake or dessert from a bakery. If you drink, some restaurants now offer cocktails to go.
Libra Season
My birthday is this weekend and I took a couple of days off next week. I’m going on a hike in a state park with 2 friends, and other than that plan to read, take a bubble bath, and otherwise just pamper myself. I heard about the concept of “shouldless days” on a podcast once, so I’m treating my bday and the day after as Shouldless Days, where I don’t do anything I should do. Just want I want to in the moment! Happy birthday!!
anon a mouse
I was just going to suggest finding a state park that is new to you and closer than a national park. I just went to one over the weekend that was a delight, I easily could have spent a whole day there (instead of just the 4 hours I had).
Anon
It depends where you are, but a lot of the state and national parks I’ve been to have been very crowded with lots of people not wearing masks (virtually nobody wears masks to go hiking in my state) so it’s probably not something I’d do with elderly parents in my bubble. I would say Shake Shack for sure, and other food treats you like, like maybe a fancy birthday cake or ice cream. Cheesecake Factory, Sprinkles cupcakes and Salt & Straw all ship nationwide. Order flowers if you like them. Make your parents sing happy birthday to you :)
I feel ya, I turned 35 during lockdown and I don’t normally care that much about my birthday but it was just such a bummer because we couldn’t leave the house. Whenever this situation is over, I’m taking a big blowout trip to celebrate my birthday, even if it’s a seemingly insignificant number like 37 or 38.
anon
I just turned 40 and was weirdly disappointed by not being able to celebrate. So I had cake with my immediate family and called it a day. No traveling, no meet-up with friends. You don’t seem overly enthused about traveling, so I’d skip the hassle unless you feel like it will be restorative in some way.
Duckles
Thanks all for the perspective! Going to mull on it tonight and see if there’s anything I truly WANT to do tonight that I can, rather than just anything.
FWIW to people thinking about visiting parks, I’ve gone to several national parks and actually haven’t felt unsafe Covid-wise— but I go EARLY, hike the hard stuff, and get out by 1pmish, if you’re considering it. And I pee behind trees rather than waiting in bathroom lines ?
Anon
Make the drive!! It’s worth it.
MKB
Maybe helpful: we had a bonus PTO day at work, with the additional “rule” that we had to use it for something that we found fun or relaxing and that we wouldn’t normally have done. People posted theirs to slack, a few were:
* wine tasting picnic at a winery
* apple picking followed by apple turnover making
* an afternoon at a driving range
* bow and arrow lesson / target practice
* cinnamon roll breakfast delivery & downloading a new video game (day spent in PJs)
Duckles
The bow and arrow one is absurd and I love it.
Anon
Realistically I’d probably be of the cinnamon roll and PJs persuasion.
Anon
Same!
Anon
In the Before Times, when I had unexpected time to myself on or around my birthday, it would be bubble bath, making an indulgent dinner for myself like linguine Alfredo with lemon, a really nice wine, and streaming a recent movie I had been wanting to see, even if I had to pay for it.
Cabbage
I feel like people knew the answer to this in the Middle Ages, but how long will a cabbage in the ‘fridge last?
I feel like back when we just had root cellars, the answer was “all winter.”
Anon
As long as you haven’t started cutting on it, a long, long time and you’ll know if it’s no good.
Anon
A very long time. It’s gonna get a wilty and look unappealing before it gets dangerous to eat.
Cat
You’ll know it from the smell…
Anon
Yep, this is my go to rule for food safety. If it smells bad or if there’s visible mold, it’s time to toss it.
Anon
The firm standard cabbage heads last a lot longer than the softer savoy or Napa types. If it starts fo look grody just peel of outer leaves to get to the good stuff.
Once you cut it in half, all bets are off.
If you want to preserve it for longer, make sauerkraut, which is surprisingly easy.
Another anon
I had these boots and I’d definitely buy them again (maybe not from Amazon) but y’all told me that the pointy toes are dated. What gives?
Anon
That’s not a pointed toe.